


Harnessing a Wild Spirit

by Mrs_Agget



Category: Spartacus Series (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-05
Updated: 2014-05-31
Packaged: 2017-12-25 17:04:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 34,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/955587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mrs_Agget/pseuds/Mrs_Agget
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/agamom4/media/HaWSbanner.jpg.html"></a>
  <img/></p>
<p>Brandt Ranch is in financial trouble. Can a new work program at the local prison help, and in the process, possibly free more than one man?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all. I hope you enjoy this little trip into my imagination. Updates will be every Thursday, unless something happens and I have to be a little late. (I hope not)
> 
> Thank you to DelphiusFanfic, for prereading like a pro, and also to Harrytwifan, who is the best beta I know. You girls rock.
> 
> I do not own Spartacus.

**APOV**

 

With a frown, I pulled on the board I had just nailed into place. It had to be secure, or that damn horse would get out again. I really wanted to sell the fucking thing, but he was our best stud. He used to run in the Derby, and the colts and fillies he produced were in high demand. People paid top dollar for any progeny of a champion, which my brother Duro and I desperately needed. Especially now.

  
  


I didn’t want to be out in the hot as fuck barn repairing a stall gate. I didn’t want to have to deal with crops and ranch hands and finances. Even though Duro and I started helping out since before we were teens, it was different now. What I wanted was to have my parents back. Fucking stupid drunk drivers. The first time my parents had gone on a date in six months, and some guy decided to get hammered and drive on the wrong side of the highway.

  
  


My younger brother by two years, Duro, was faring no better than I was. He went through the motions of taking care of the ranch and shit, just like me, but some of the brightness was gone from his eyes. I would give anything to see it back again.

  
  


Our ranch hands, Spartacus, Varro, Barca, and Crixus were, by no means, unaffected by our parents’ death as well. They tried to do more to help in the days following, but there was only so much four men could do on a five hundred acre ranch. The plain fact was we needed more hands, but Duro and I didn’t have the money to hire additional help.

  
  


After the funeral, we went through the books and found we were barely making a profit. The past year had been pretty tough. A tornado came through in the Spring, which damaged some equipment, and we lost some livestock. The repairs and replacements made a huge dent in our savings. Right after the storm our folks died, so Duro and I were left to recover alone.

  
  


Three months had passed since our world had been turned upside down, and we were doing a little better since all the repairs and shit were done, but it still wasn’t enough. Harvest time was coming up, and when it did, I had no fucking clue how the six of us would get all the work finished in time.

  
  


When I was finally satisfied with the stall gate, I headed back to the main house to start dinner. As I washed up in the mudroom, I heard the distinct sound of kissing coming from the kitchen.

  
  


Duro and Spartacus.

  
  


They thought I didn’t know, but I had for a couple weeks now. There really was no reason for them to hide it, but I think Duro did because he thought I would fire Spartacus. I couldn’t do that, and didn’t want to. He was a damn good ranch hand, and he made Duro happy. I actually envied their affections toward each other. It had been quite a long time since I had a man of my own.

  
  


As it turned out, Duro and I both came out to our parents by accident. We had known about each other’s preferences for a while but Mom and Dad had no idea. Until they walked in from an early date to find both Duro and I making out with two guys from school in our rooms. We were mortified. They thought it was funny...at first.

  
  


After they kicked out our boyfriends, Duro and I got a huge lecture on having boys over when they weren’t home. My brother and I were shocked that they didn’t say anything about us being gay. Mom and Dad never did say anything, and when we did bring home boys, they always showed the utmost respect to them.

  
  


“You two finished?” I called as I walked into the kitchen. Duro, red-faced as hell, turned back around to the sink and started scrubbing potatoes like his life depended on it. Spartacus smiled and started to cut up onions on the cutting board.

  
  


Chuckling, I went to the fridge and took out a bottle of water and the chicken for dinner. “You know, you guys don’t have to hide. I’ve known for weeks,” I said, closing the door and setting the meat and water on the counter.

  
  


Duro whipped his head around. “How did you know?”

  
  


“‘Cause I saw you two kissing in the hayloft when you were supposed to be stacking bales,” I smirked, then opened the chicken and dumped it in a big bowl so I could season it for the grill.

  
  


“Shit,” Duro huffed.

  
  


“Oh, shut up. I don’t have a problem with it. If dickhead here makes you happy, go for it. Just do me a favor. No fucking during work hours.”

  
  


Duro choked and Spartacus laughed. “No problem, boss,” he said happily.

  
  


“Spartacus,” Duro said in a low tone, “please go get us some corn for the grill. Twelve ears.”

  
  


“I’m on it,” the man said, walking over to kiss my brother on the cheek. “Be right back, honey,” he teased, then left the room.

  
  


I moved to the sink to wash my hands after handling the chicken. Duro was staring into the other side of the sink, his face beet red.

  
  


“Oh, come on, brother.” I nudged him. “Don’t be so embarrassed. I meant what I said about Spartacus. If he makes you happy, go for it.”

  
  


“That’s all well and good, Agron, and thank you, but you two don’t have to tease me about it,” he answered.

  
  


Laughing, I replied, “You better get used to that. When the rest of the hands find out...if they don’t know already.”

  
  


“Hmm, you have a point,” he said as he turned off the water. He started wrapping the potatoes in foil. “It’s just weird, you know? Getting caught and all that. And, I kind of feel strange.”

  
  


“Strange how?” I moved to get my water and took a big drink.

  
  


Duro turned to  face me, his face a mask of doubt and sadness. “Is it wrong, Agron, to be happy when I’m still missing Mom and Dad so much?”

  
  


“Hell no, it’s not wrong, Duro! I envy you for having someone besides me to share your grief with. You and Spartacus are a good match, even if we don’t have our parents anymore.” I moved closer, wanting him to really listen and understand what I was trying to say. “You can’t let the accident come between you two. You hear me?”

  
  


“Yeah, I hear you, and I won’t,” he responded with a small smile. “Thank you, brother.”

  
  


“Anytime,” I said, and hugged him briefly. I left him alone with his thoughts and went out to light the grill.

  
  


**~O~**

  
  


Dinner was the one meal where the four hands, Duro, and I set aside work and any other problems in favor of normal conversation. Whether it be about a television show we saw, or a trip to the grocery store, it didn’t matter. To me, it was important that we had that kind of talk. It made us feel like regular guys, sharing a meal and shooting the shit.

  
  


“Going out Friday night, Crixus?” I asked as I took another piece of corn out of the bowl.

  
  


“I don’t know. I was thinking about just hanging around the bunkhouse.”

  
  


“Party animal,” Varro snorted.

  
  


“What will you be doing then?” Crixus retorted. “Going out to break another woman’s heart?”

  
  


“Funny, asshole,” Varro said. “No, I have a hot date. I’m gonna give my bed some ass and my pillow some head.”

  
  


All of our laughter rang around the room.

  
  


“Mark my words,” Varro continued. “You guys will be sorry for not getting the extra sleep before Saturday, when haying starts.” He pointed at us all with his fork, before he continued to shovel in his food.

  
  


“Spartacus?” I asked. “You have plans? I’m staying here and vegging on the couch.”

  
  


“Well,” Spartacus said slowly, “I want to take Duro out, if he’ll agree.”

  
  


Crixus burst into laughter. “Pay up, Barca! I told you, and you didn’t believe me!” Duro stared, surprised, as Barca fished in his pocket, handing Crixus a twenty.

  
  


“Told you they probably knew, brother,” I pointed out.

  
  


“Yeah, you did,” he agreed with a small smile. “Spartacus, I’d be happy to go out with you Friday night.”

  
  


Spartacus gave Duro a goofy smile and took his hand. It was sweet to see them like that, even if we all busted their balls about it. Their new relationship made me happy for my brother, yet it held a little sadness as well. I wished to have someone I could share thoughts and touches with as a lover.

  
  


The mundane conversation and teasing continued as we finished our meal. When we were done, everyone pitched in to clean the kitchen, then the hands left for the bunkhouse. Duro went with them, to tell Spartacus goodnight, I figured.

  
  


I took the time alone to take a quick shower and get dressed in more comfortable clothes. When I was done, I went into the living room and turned on the television. Idly flipping through the channels, I decided on a dumb slasher movie. It was only for background noise, really. My thoughts were elsewhere.

  
  


No matter how I tried to distract myself, my mind wandered to the upcoming harvest and our lack of hands. We only had one acre of corn, thank God, but there were two colts and one filly to train, along with the regular chores. There was also all the hay we had to make. I had a grim feeling we were going to lose profit if we didn’t make some changes.

  
  


The phone rang, scaring the shit out of me. I fumbled on the side table for it, and quickly answered.

  
  


“Brandt Ranch. Agron here.”

  
  


“Hello, Agron. This is Officer Williams from County Jail,” the man said. My mind immediately went into overdrive, wondering if maybe I had forgotten to pay an outstanding ticket or something. As far as I could remember, I hadn’t gotten any. Maybe Duro had and forgot to tell me. Shit.

  
  


“Agron?” Officer Williams asked again, and I mentally slapped myself. _Get it together, idiot._

  
  


“I’m here, Officer,” I said, and cleared my suddenly dry throat. “Sorry about that.”

  
  


“No problem,” the officer said cheerfully. “The warden and guards had a meeting, and we think we might have a solution to your problem.”

  
  


“Problem?” I asked, confused.

  
  


“Yes. Word gets around in a small town, Mr. Brandt,” he chuckled. “A few mornings ago, one of the other officers heard your neighbor talking about your need for extra ranch hands in the diner. Word came back to us, and that’s what brought on the meeting. Anyhow, the warden has been wanting to start a community service program for some of the best behaved inmates, and we all thought you guys could be our ‘guinea pigs’. It would help all of us.”

  
  


Wait. Was he saying what I thought he was? The warden had been friends with our parents, having bought a horse from them for his granddaughter, but I never thought he liked them so much to do something like what the officer seemed to be suggesting.

  
  


“You mean to tell me you want to send inmates here, for eight hours a day, to work for free?”

  
  


“That’s the plan,” he answered. I could hear the smile in his voice.

  
  


“But...they’re inmates,” I blurted, my mind filled with images of huge, ugly tattooed fuckers causing riots and shit. Officer Williams chuckled.

  
  


“Yes, they are,” he replied. “But remember, they will only be the best behaved of the lot we have. Also, we will send a guard for each to keep watch over them, just in case.”

  
  


Damn. The idea sounded intriguing.

  
  


“How many?” I asked.

  
  


“Would four be enough?”

  
  


“Holy shit,” I said, then facepalmed myself. “Sorry, Officer. That sounds great. Then Duro and I would be able to get what we need finished before winter sets in.”

  
  


“Is that a yes?” the officer laughed.

  
  


“Well, I have to talk to Duro and the other hands,” I answered. “Can I call you tomorrow and let you know for sure?”

  
  


“You sure can,” Officer Williams replied. “My extension is four-one-two.”

  
  


“Okay, thank you so much,” I said, scribbling the officer’s name and extension on the pad of paper kept on the table.

  
  


“You’re welcome, Mr. Brandt. Speak to you tomorrow.”

  
  


We hung up, and I sat back on the couch. My mind was going ninety miles an hour. It seemed too good to be true to have four extra hands, free of charge. I was a little worried that they were convicted criminals, but the officer said they would be well behaved and guarded.

  
  


I really didn’t think Duro would be against the idea, but I had to check with the other hands about the situation. They would be working next to the men sent from the prison, and I refused to have my hands be uncomfortable in their home.

  
  


Instead of relaxing me, the thought that there may be a way out of the hole Duro and I were in had me wired. I wandered around the house for a few minutes before getting a beer from the fridge. As I sipped, I found myself in the bedroom my parents once slept in.

  
  


I walked over to the empty closet first. It still looked so weird without their clothes hanging in the neat rows Mom always made sure they were in. Duro and I had given all of them to the Goodwill and various churches about a month ago. We figured if they could help people, it was what our parents would have wanted.

  
  


Something on the top shelf caught my eye. It was a shoe box. I took it and sat on the edge of the bed before opening the nearly tattered thing. When I did, sadness rocketed through me so hard I had to set my beer on the nightstand to keep from dropping it.

  
  


Inside were pictures of me and Duro. I dumped them out on the bed so I could get a good look. One in particular caught my eye, and I picked it up to have a closer look. It was a Christmas photo, taken when I was about eight and Duro six. We were on Santa’s lap at the mall, and while I was grinning happily, Duro was screaming.

  
  


I remembered that day. After we had the picture taken, Mom took us to get ice cream. Tears filled my eyes at the memory of Mom wiping the tears from Duro’s cheeks with a napkin while he held onto her. Fuck, she was such a good mom.

  
  


Grabbing my beer, I took a long drink and swiped at my eyes. Picking another photo, I smiled to see an image of me and Duro camping in the backyard. We were twelve and ten. Dad had even built a small campfire,  and we roasted marshmallows. He sat in the tent with us after, telling us ghost stories. I remembered thinking he was silly, because we were in our backyard, and bears didn’t wander in people’s yards. They liked the woods.

  
  


“What are you doing?” Duro asked, startling me. I dropped the photo and looked up. He was standing in the doorway, looking pretty rumpled. I was too emotional to pick on him.

  
  


“I found a box of photos in the top of Mom and Dad’s closet,” I told him quietly. “Come see.”

  
  


He joined me on the bed, and we leafed through the pictures silently for a moment. Duro laughed and took one, holding it out for me.

  
  


“Remember this?” he asked.

  
  


Oh, God. Yes, I did. For Duro’s thirteenth Christmas, we got a trampoline. It took Dad and us almost the whole of Christmas Day to put the damn thing together. Then, of course, we had to use it.

  
  


Bundled up in our thickest coats, gloves, and hats, Duro and I played for hours. The image my brother held was of the two of us happily jumping on our amazing Christmas present. We were in the air with our hands clasped, legs kicking out and smiles huge. A beautiful sunset was visible in the background. Dad took that picture, and right after, he had to rush Duro to the hospital because he fell off and broke his pinky finger.

  
  


Duro gave me a smug smirk, and I shook my head.

  
  


“Oh no, shithead. That was not my fault,” I said.

  
  


“Oh hell yes, it was!” he exclaimed. “You tripped me!”

  
  


“Did not,” I huffed.

  
  


We broke out in laughter at our silly argument. Duro would forever blame that broken finger on me.

  
  


“These are pretty great,” he sighed when once we controlled ourselves.

  
  


“Yeah, they are,” I replied.

  
  


He was quiet for a moment before asking, “What should we do with them?”

  
  


“I think we should leave them where they are,” I said. “Then, when we’re missing Mom and Dad, we can come and remember the good times.”

  
  


“Yeah,” he sighed. “That’s a good idea.”

  
  


Hefting myself off of the bed, I clapped Duro on the shoulder.

  
  


“I’m heading to bed, brother,” I told him. “Night.”

  
  


“Night,” he responded. “Oh, Agron?”

  
  


“Yeah?” I asked from the doorway.

  
  


“Love you.”

  
  


Giving him a smile, I nodded. “Love you too, Duro.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey y'all! I'm a day late, I know. Apologies for that.
> 
> Thank you to my awesome prereader, DelphiusFanfic and wonderful beta, Harrytwifan for their work.
> 
> I don't own Spartacus.
> 
> Enjoy!

APOV

 

“You want us to work with prisoners? Here?” Barca asked. He dropped his fork onto his plate, scattering scrambled eggs everywhere.

  
  


“Yeah,” I said. “Officer Williams assured me they would be well behaved, and each one would have an armed guard watching.”

  
  


Barca still looked unconvinced. The other guys didn’t have a problem with it, so it kind of irritated me that Barca decided to raise his hackles.

  
  


“Barca,” Duro said, “we need the extra help. This could finally get us out of the slump we’re in. Hell, if we keep going the way we have been, all of us will be eating peanut butter and jelly for every meal.”

  
  


He sighed, and Spartacus placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

  
  


Barca was quiet for a moment, staring into his plate, then looked at me.

  
  


“I know we need the help, boss,” he said. “It’s just...you know I’ve been in the joint before. I know how some cons can be.”

  
  


“I know,” I said, giving him a small smile. “Even cons deserve a second chance, though.” I winked at him, and his cheeks pinked.

  
  


He knew what I was getting at. Fresh out of prison, Barca joined us here on the ranch. Dad believed every man had his worth, no matter what he had done in the past. I believed in that as well. Our family gave Barca a place to call home. With a steady job and steady pay, he had become a respected member of society again.

  
  


After a moment of silence all around the table, Barca sent me a grin.

  
  


“Bring ‘em on,” he said. “It would be wrong not to give those men a chance at a real life like your dad gave me.”

  
  


Happiness and hope washed over me. We were all in agreement. As soon as the house cleared, I called County and let Officer Williams know to bring the prisoners. I had to admit I couldn’t quite keep the excitement from my voice. With the new guys helping, we would be able to get twice the work done. With a bounce in my step I hadn’t had for a long time, I went out to get busy.

  
  


~O~

  
  


The night before the convicts were to arrive, I couldn’t sleep. I tossed, turned, covered up, uncovered, and even punched my pillow in hopes of getting comfortable. Duro didn’t seem to have any trouble. I could hear him snoring away in the next room over.

  
  


I knew I was making the right decision by having the prisoners to come work. Part of my discontent was wondering whether they would give us problems taking orders. Surely the armed guards would be able to control them.

  
  


I also wondered what the men would be like. Would they have bad ass attitudes, or would they be like regular guys you could sit around and shoot the shit with? I hoped it would be the latter. All I could think of was a group of huge, burly men standing there with murder in their eyes.

  
  


By the time the sun started lighting the sky, I was sitting on the edge of my bed, dressed for the day with coffee in hand. Thank God it was Duro’s turn to cook breakfast.

  
  


As it turned out, the meal was quiet with not much eating going on, so Duro’s efforts were wasted. All of us were relieved when it was time to go out to meet the prison bus.

  
  


The driver pulled all the way up near the barn before stopping. The doors opened, and we were met by three guards. The fourth was the one driving. A tall, built guard walked up and shook my hand.

  
  


“I’m Dustin,” he said. “Good to meet you, Mr. Brandt.”

  
  


“Just Agron,” I answered, taking the man’s hand in a firm handshake. “Nice to meet you, too.”

  
  


I heard the rustle of chains as the other guards brought the prisoners off of the bus. They stood in a line, side by side and wearing handcuffs to face me, Duro, and the hands. If not for the bright orange pants and shackles, you’d never know they were prisoners. None of them sneered or looked murderous like I had imagined in the night. I wanted to laugh at myself for even thinking it.

  
  


There was one man in the group that caught my eye, though. He looked like he was a whole foot and a half shorter than the other men, with olive skin, and raven black hair pulled up in a messy bun. He looked to be much younger than the rest, but his large, deep brown eyes told another story. They told of hardships and regrets. I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to get to know him right away.

  
  


One of the other guards spoke, breaking my thoughts.

  
  


“The inmates, from left to right, are Lugo, Nasir, Nemetes, and Donar.”

  
  


Nodding, I gestured to the hands. “These guys are Varro, Barca, Spartacus, and Crixus. The man next to me is my brother, Duro. If, at any time, you have question about the work, any one of us will help.”

  
  


The inmates stood silent, their respective guards standing behind them. They were well behaved, indeed. The guards must have had a talk with them before they left the prison.

  
  


“Follow us,” I continued, walking in the direction of the barn. “You guys will be working with horses while you’re here, but I assure you, all of them are gentle and won’t hurt you. If any of you have ridden before, that could be a good help.”

  
  


We entered the large building, already stifling from the heat.

  
  


“Let’s get busy,” I concluded. “I’ll call when it’s time for lunch. The hands will show you what to do.”

  
  


~O~

  
  


I shouldn’t have worried about the inmates. Their guards kept as close an eye on them as I’d ever seen. A few of them took to the work like fish to water, but Duro and I had to help Lugo and Donar with some repairs on one of the tractors.

  
  


Work was getting finished at a more rapid pace, too. The corn was picked in half the time as usual, and the hay was starting to get cut earlier than I figured it would.

  
  


The little man who had held my attention when he first got off the bus seemed to know the most about the kind of work we required. He kept quiet, working with Varro as he shoed horses. He was gentle with the animals, and they seemed to like him.

  
  


There was something about the guy that had me intrigued. Quiet and a diligent worker, yet with fire in his eyes unlike any man I’d ever seen. He did each thing required of him with minimal instruction, trying over again patiently if he messed up, until he got it right. Even though I didn’t know the man, I admired him.

  
  


Soon, lunchtime was upon us, and I headed into the house to make sandwiches. There was much talk and good natured teasing from the hands as they washed up in the mudroom, then carried in extra chairs for the workers and their guards. The mudroom was much quieter as the men from the prison washed up.

  
  


They filed into the room and stood in a line against the back wall, waiting on instruction. It made me wonder just how much of a strict routine the warden had for them. I didn’t think I could endure it.

  
  


The hands and Duro helped finish making the food, creating a sort of assembly line down the counter. When we finished, we stacked the sandwiches on to two platters and carried them to the table, along with glasses and two pitchers of lemonade from the fridge.

  
  


As we took our seats, I noticed the guards standing with  their men, who hadn’t made a move toward the table.

  
  


“Come join us,” I invited. “We have plenty of room with the extra chairs.”

  
  


“The prisoners will eat after all of you have finished,” one of the guards replied shortly.

  
  


His statement shocked me. My ranch wasn’t a prison.

  
  


“These men will be working here for some time,” I told the guards. “I expect them to share our meals with us at the table, when we do. This ranch is not a prison, and I refuse to have it treated that way. We’re a family here, and that invitation applies to all of you as well.”

  
  


The guard who spoke regarded me thoughtfully for a moment, then nodded slowly. He waved the prisoners forward, and the only noise in the room for a few minutes was the scraping of chairs on the floor as everyone got settled.

  
  


“That’s much better,” I said with a smile as I started handing out food, then looked at the prisoners. “While you guys are here, I think we should act if the prison doesn’t exist. I want you to feel comfortable while you work. Feel free to converse with and get to know the hands, including myself and Duro. Good conversation and friendship makes the work go easier.”

  
  


“Keep in mind, though,” a tall, dark skinned guard said in a deep commanding voice, “that you are indeed still wards of the County. Any disobedience will be punished according to the law.”

  
  


With matters settled, we started on our lunch. It made me happy to see some of the hands striking  mundane chats with some of the new men. Spartacus and Duro talked to Donar and Nemetes, while Barca and Lugo shook hands and shared a smile. The only man who sat eating silently was Nasir. His head was lowered, eyes intent on his plate. Once again, that concerned feeling nagged at my brain to make conversation.

  
  


Taking a deep breath, I said, “Nasir.”

  
  


Big dark eyes met mine, full of question and uncertainty.

  
  


“How are you finding the work?” I asked. Oh God, that sounded so lame. I wanted to facepalm myself.

  
  


“Pleasant,” he replied quietly.

  
  


My God, he had beautiful eyes. So deep and soulful, I knew I could easily get lost.

  
  


Shut up, you dumbfuck, I chastised myself. He’s here for work, that’s all!

  
  


I took a sip of my lemonade. “From watching you, it seems that you have some experience.”

  
  


“Some,” he answered, his eyes glancing downward once again. I wanted him to look at me, but I

took those few seconds to really look at his profile from a closer distance.

  
  


He had smooth looking olive skin framed by tendrils of soft looking black hair that had fallen loose from the bun at the back of his head. Impossibly long lashes framed those eyes I was mesmerized with. His lips were wide and full, colored a deep pink. He had a strong jawline, peppered with slight scruff. In a word, he was fucking breathtaking.

  
  


A sharp elbow to my side caused my gaze to break, and I looked over to see Duro with a shit-eating grin on his face.

  
  


“Don’t say a fucking word,” I whispered to him in a hiss.

  
  


He laughed, poking me in the side again before turning his attention back to the others. I chanced another look toward Nasir, surprised to find him looking at me. It only lasted a brief second, though. He quickly averted his gaze, and I could have sworn I detected a hint of pink on his cheeks.

  
  


Clearing my throat, I asked, “Nasir, is there anything specific you would choose for work while you’re here?”

  
  


I knew I shouldn’t have asked that. It was showing favoritism, but hell, I was desperate for conversation with the man.

  
  


“Nothing specific,” he answered curtly, then stood. I watched as he  took his glass to the sink and threw his paper plate and napkin in the trash, then went to stand against the back wall, waiting on everyone else.

  
  


There was something about Nasir that concerned me. One word answers, minimal eye contact, and his eagerness to do as asked made me wonder if he was having some sort of trouble with one of the inmates from the prison.

  
  


I made the decision to keep a close watch on the others around him, to see if any showed behavior different from what they showed around everyone else. If they did, I would put an end to it right away, guards be damned.

  
  


After finishing the meal and cleaning the kitchen, we headed back outside. I made a point to stay near Nasir, keeping to the promise I had made to myself about watching the others. As far as I could tell, none of the other prisoners or guards had any trouble with him. I told myself I would keep watching, and if the days continued to be uneventful, I would have words with him. Whatever was causing him to act like he was irritated me furiously. Surely, he would have to come clean at some point.

  
  


“He’ll come around,” Crixus said from behind me. I was in the barn loft, moving shit around to make room for the hay bales when they were ready, and didn’t hear him come up.

  
  


I jumped and nearly tripped over my own feet.

  
  


“What?”

  
  


“You think none of us besides your brother saw the way you were looking at Nasir during lunch?” my friend asked with a smirk.

  
  


Stupid Crixus. And stupid me for staring at the man so blatantly earlier.

  
  


“So?” I asked flippantly as I turned back to my work.

  
  


“So, think about it, Agron. Nasir is a prisoner and has been for who knows how long. This is a big change for all of them.”

  
  


“Yeah, but at least the others engage you guys in conversation,” I replied. “Nasir just does his work with few words, hardly making an attempt to speak to anyone. There is something on that man’s mind, Crixus, and I plan to find out.”

  
  


“Just be careful,” my friend warned me. “You push him, and you may not like what you hear.”

  
  


I gave the man a nod, silently vowing I would do my best.

  
  


~O~

  
  


Despite the difficulty sleeping the night before, then the long day of work, I found myself tossing and turning once again in my bed. I could have gotten up and taken a hot shower, maybe with a quick jerk off to ease the tension, but I figured, fuck it. My bed was comfortable, even though sleep wanted to be a bitch.

  
  


Next morning, I was on my third cup of coffee before Duro and the guys herded into the kitchen for breakfast.

  
  


“Dude, you look like hell,” Varro exclaimed as he began to prepare the meal.

  
  


“Fuck you too, buddy,” I retorted.

  
  


Duro and Crixus shared a knowing look, and I flipped them both off, just for good measure.

  
  


“What am I missing?” Barca asked as he sat at the table and poured cream in his coffee.

  
  


Spartacus took the seat opposite him. “Our boss here is pining.”

  
  


“Pining? Over what?”

  
  


“Agron and Nasir...sitting in a tree...” Duro singsonged, making Varro, Duro, and Spartacus

laugh.

  
  


“How the fuck old are you, Duro?” I snapped, tired of the ribbing. He just laughed harder and winked over his shoulder at Spartacus.

  
  


“You guys are pure evil, you know that?” I shook my head. “Since Duro knows so much about me, he can fill you guys in about what’s going on. I’ll see you fuckers in the barn.”

  
  


I headed outside, glad to be away from those idiots. They were only teasing, but it grated on my nerves. Not enough sleep, I figured. By the time the prisoners filed into the barn, I was hard at work trying to get a rope halter on the newest stud colt we were trying to train.

  
  


The little shit kept throwing his head back every time I came near with the halter, snorting and whinnying. None of the other guys had any luck when they tried on the previous days, and we were all discouraged.

  
  


My mouth hung open and my eyes nearly fell out as Nasir walked right past me, petting the horse on the top of his head while speaking softly into the animal’s ear.

  
  


After a minute or so, the colt had calmed and stood stock still. Without stopping the soft words in the horse’s ear, Nasir held his hand out for the halter.

  
  


Unable to form words just yet, I handed Nasir the halter. He never stopped talking as he slipped it onto the animal’s head. The other hands and prisoners had gathered around, watching Nasir’s prowess with the horse. Once they saw that the small man had taken control of the animal, they dispersed. Mumbling in surprise, they went back to their work.

  
  


“How did you do that?” I blurted as I walked over to him. Reaching out, I scratched the colt

between his ears.

  
  


Nasir smiled slightly while he stroked the horse’s neck.

  
  


“It’s all about the approach,” he told me. “If you charge at them, they’re going to fight back. Gentility is the key when training animals.”

  
  


Holy shit. My mind was reeling at the fact I was having an actual conversation with the man  that had caught my eye. He was acting the complete opposite of the previous day at lunch. Maybe he was just shy in crowds.

  
  


“I have an idea,” I said with a huge grin. “How would you like to continue to help me train this little man, instead of fixing fence and stacking hay?”

  
  


Pink colored those olive skinned cheeks, and he swept some errant strands of hair away from his face. My God, he was so fucking beautiful.

  
  


“I would like that a lot,” he replied softly, blessing me with a slightly bigger smile.

  
  


“Good. So would I.”

  
  


I moved to pet the horse on the neck, and accidentally-on-purpose brushed the back of my hand against the back of his. The pink in his cheeks deepened, and he lowered his head shyly.

  
  


Finally, I was beginning to learn about Nasir the man, not the con. I liked what I was finding out. A lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \---------------------------  
> Thank y'all for reading! See ya next time!
> 
> Penny


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! I didn't forget today!! I hope you guys enjoy it!!
> 
> Thank you millions to DelphiusFanfic, for prereading, and Harrytwifan, for betaing. They do a wonderful job! Special thank yous go to DelphiusFanfic, for her super amount of help with this chap. It was a difficult one! :D
> 
> I do not own Spartacus.

**APOV**

 

Over the next couple of weeks, it seemed like things were running pretty smoothly. Everyone was working hard and the haying was coming along nicely. The men from the prison, including the guards, were settling in and acting more natural in the ranch setting than the first few days they arrived.

 

Nasir and I had come to an unspoken agreement, sort of. He talked minimally around everyone gathered together. Yet when we were alone, usually with the stud colt, we chatted like old friends. Truth be told, I was falling for the man, fast and hard. He was funny and sweet, and really smart, too. His knowledge of horses rivaled my own.

 

The weekends nearly killed me. The cons stayed at the lockup, for family visiting and such. I hated to admit I was a grumpy bastard on those days, but I couldn’t help it. I missed the little man. Everything about him captivated me.

 

After the men went home in the evenings, the rest of the guys picked on me relentlessly. I did my best to take it in stride, and I’d never blushed so much in my life. Although, one night as I was heading to bed, Duro stopped me and expressed how happy he was I found someone that interested me. My brother’s approval meant the world to me.

 

The Monday of the third week, I was surprised when Oenomaus, the guard who watched over Nasir, took me aside next to the barn.

 

“I would like to have a word,” he told me seriously.

 

“Something wrong?”

 

“I have noticed how close you are getting with Nasir.” I could hear the judgement in his voice.

 

This conversation wasn’t going to go well. If I pissed the man off, he wouldn’t let Nasir come back to work. It was a big task to keep my mouth shut.

 

“I have,” I said coolly. “Is that a problem?”

 

“We didn’t bring the prisoners here to be gawked at and hit on, Agron. They are here to work, and that’s it. Fraternizing is fine, but you have been doing a lot more than that.”

 

“I have,” I repeated. “There’s something about him that attracts me, and I can’t help it.”

 

“He still has one month left to serve in the joint,” Oenomaus replied. “I advise you to watch yourself until he is free, or he will be removed from work detail.”

 

“Yes, sir,” I said politely.

 

He walked into the barn to watch over Nasir, and I flipped him the bird behind his back. That asshole. If he wanted to act that way, I’d just have to find a way for Nasir and I to be alone.

 

Fuming, I stalked off to the back of the truck, where Varro and Duro were unloading bales of hay to be stacked in the loft.

 

“Damn,” Varro said. “Somebody piss in your Cheerios?”

 

“Fucking Oenomaus,” I spat. “He warned me not to get so close to Nasir, or he wouldn’t let him continue working here.”

 

“That bastard,” Duro replied.

 

Varro looked thoughtful for a moment, and then hopped off of the back of the truck.

 

“Leave it to me,” he said, grinning, then took off for the barn.

 

Oh, God. What was he planning? All I knew was he’d better not fuck up my chance with Nasir, or I’d have his ass, and not in the fun way.

 

I waited with Duro, helping him unload bales, wondering what kind of crazy plan Varro was hatching. After a few minutes, the barn door opened, and Varro, followed by Oenomaus, walked around the side of the building. I watched with wide eyes until Duro elbowed me in the side.

 

“What the fuck are you waiting for, dumbass?” he hissed. “Go!”

 

He didn’t have to tell me twice. I hauled ass across the yard and into the barn, heading straight to the colt’s stall. Nasir was sitting on a stool, using a pick to remove dirt and small rocks from the animal’s front left hoof.

 

Finally noticing my presence, the sinfully gorgeous man looked up with a wide smile.

 

“For a while, I thought you weren’t coming to see me,” he said.

 

“Well, I was stopped by Oenomaus on the way in. He warned me to keep my distance from you.”

 

Nasir’s smile faded, replaced by a deep frown. “Why?”

 

“He said we’re getting too close, and he wouldn’t let you continue to work here if I didn’t back off.”

 

“Asshole,” Nasir muttered, lowering his head.

 

Kneeling in the hay in front of him, I gripped his chin and raised his face so his eyes met mine again. Skimming my thumb along his cheek, I cupped his face.

 

“One month,” I whispered. “Then you’ll be let out of that shitty place. Then you can do whatever you want. Honestly, I hope you’ll want to continue to work here, with me.”

 

The barest hint of a smile graced Nasir’s beautiful face, and I couldn’t help myself. Leaning forward, I took his lips in a gentle kiss. He pressed his mouth against mine for the briefest of seconds, and then pulled away slowly.

 

My lips tingled from his touch. I licked them to remember and savor the taste, then blessed him with my biggest, cheesiest smile. Happiness and hope swelled in my chest at the fact my bold advance paid off.

 

Nasir smiled as well, then pulled me closer by the back of my neck to quickly kiss me one more time.

 

“Go,” he chuckled. “Before we get caught. I’ll find some way to work with you this afternoon.”

 

Nodding, I stood and left the barn. I was smiling like a fucking idiot. Walking back to the truck full of hay, I kept my mouth shut and lifted bales with renewed vigor.

 

“Gonna leave us in suspense, brother?” Duro asked. “I know by the look on your face something good happened in there.”

 

“Keep your voice down so the others don’t hear you, Duro,” I warned lowly. “And thank you, Varro, for the distraction.”

 

He grinned. “Just helpin’ a brother out. We expect full details at dinner too, just sayin’.”

 

“You got it,” I said with a laugh.

 

Sounds of a scuffle broke out behind us, immediately wilting my mood. I jumped off the truck, followed by Varro and Duro, and raced toward the noise. The commotion was coming from inside the barn, one of the back stalls.

 

I pushed my way through the group that had gathered to find Nemetes and Donar struggling against the two guards holding them back from each other. Donar spit in the dirt and hay at Nemetes’ feet, and the affronted man struggled even harder.

 

“What the fuck is going on in here!” I yelled, gaining all their attentions.

 

Oenomaus glared at me as if I had no business questioning the goings on in my own barn. "We got this handled, Mr. Brandt. It’s nothing to concern yourself with." His eyes turned from mine, dismissing me.

 

Fury tightened in my chest. "Oenomaus, I don't know who the fuck you think you're talking to, but when I ask a question, I expect it to be answered. What the fuck is going on in here?"

 

Nemetes took advantage of Oenomaus' distraction and lunged forward, jamming Donar in the gut with his shoulder - toppling both Donar and the guard holding him.

 

Donar shouted, "You stupid, lazy motherfucker! I'll fucking rip your tiny dick off. I don't give a shit if your cellmate will be pissed." They struggled harder as the guards tried to pry them apart.

 

A few more blows were landed before they were finally separated. I was worried what all this would mean for my work detail. We were finally digging the farm out of its financial hole, and couldn't afford to lose the extra hands. I hoped and prayed the fight wouldn’t mean the end of the pilot program.

 

I glanced Nasir's way as he took in the scene. He didn't look the least bit surprised. In fact, he had a bored expression. I was sad such a beautiful, young guy could be so jaded.

 

Oenomaus' voice brought my attention to the situation at hand. "Now, what exactly is the problem with you men? Which one of you started this shit?"

 

The guys stared each other down; neither said a word. "You will speak up or find yourselves off this cushy detail and back behind bars, instead of enjoying the sunshine and getting a free tan. What... Happened?"

 

I almost laughed at the man's choice of words "cushy detail," like working this ranch was a walk in the park. My guess was being anywhere but the prison would be their goal.

 

Donar broke first, claiming Nemetes was not pulling his weight on the chores so he confronted the wiry, smaller man. Nemetes had a few choice words for Donar, including some phrases about the man's wife that had me blushing.

 

Both were led to the bus and cuffed, their day obviously finished. I followed, sparing a brief glance toward Nasir as I passed.

 

"Oenomaus!" I shouted across the yard. "I'd like a word with you as soon as you have them settled." He rolled his eyes, but nodded.

 

Turning toward the rest of the men, I told them to get back to what they were doing. We were losing daylight.

 

Oenomaus finally joined me, his brow furrowed, mouth set in a grim line.

 

“I’ll just be blunt,” I said. “Is what happened between those two going to mess up the work detail?”

 

“I don’t know,” he removed his hat and swiped a hand over the top of his head before replacing it. “That’s for the warden to decide.”

 

“You’ll be making the report?” I asked.

 

“Yes, sir,” he replied curtly, and then strode off toward the barn to resume his charge.

 

Fuck.

 

I was already on the man’s bad side. If he put one word about me and Nasir in that report, we would both be fucked.

 

As much as I didn’t want it to, my sour mood affected my actions all day. I was quick to snap out orders, no doubt leaving all the hands wondering what had crawled up my ass. It was rare I was in such a bad mood, but all sorts of thoughts about what Oenomaus would say to the warden wouldn’t leave me alone.

 

Of course, when you worry about something like that, the very worst scenes play out in your mind. My brain kept conjuring images of Nasir being pulled off work detail, being put into solitary confinement for the rest of his time to serve in that awful place, and of him getting beaten by the warden himself, let alone the other inmates. If any of that did happen, I had no idea what I would do. No doubt it would turn him from me.

 

What the fuck was I saying? Nasir wasn’t mine, by any means, no matter how much I wanted him to be. I could only hope, after all the bullshit of work detail and his time in the joint, he would want to be involved with me. We shared a brief kiss, yeah, but did it mean anything to him?

 

Jesus. At the rate the day was going, I felt like it would never end.

 

**~O~**

 

Propping my foot on the bottom board of the fence, I watched the heat lightning flicker through the clouds partially covering the moon. The ranch was quiet except for the soft noises from the horses behind me. I couldn’t sleep.

 

I was sure Oenomaus had given the warden a full report on Nemetes and Donar’s fight. The decision to continue the work detail was in his hands. If he stopped the program, I wouldn’t see Nasir again until he was released. So many questions ran through my mind.

 

Would he remember where the ranch was?

 

Would he want to come back to see me, or work here?

 

If he didn’t return to the farm after being released, I would try like hell to find him. And if I missed him too much before he got out of that place, I wouldn’t hesitate to  make a trip to the joint to see him.

 

It seemed as if my whole future rode exclusively on the warden’s decision. Regardless of whether I wanted to admit it or not, I was in deep. Nasir was in my every thought, whether he was working at the ranch or not. I laid in bed at night, wondering what his cell was like, whether he was sleeping well, and wondering if he was thinking of me. That brought on more questions.

 

Was his cellmate nice to him?

 

Did he get enough to eat?

 

Did the guards assume because he was in the joint they had free reign to treat him badly?

 

Those were questions I wouldn’t know the answers to until I had the chance to speak with Nasir properly. It was disheartening to think that time possibility wouldn’t come until he was released.

 

October. At the moment, it seemed so far away.

 

Even though there was nothing to do but wait and roll with the punches, my mind wouldn’t let go of all the questions. Sighing, I went back to the house. Maybe I could get a little rest before the sun came up.

 

I went in through the mudroom and made sure to lock the door behind me. All of the lights were off, but I could easily find my way by the intermittent light of the moon shining through the windows.

 

A hot shower sounded like a good idea. If my mind couldn’t relax, perhaps my body could. I took the stairs two at a time, heading for the bathroom. As I reached the landing and started down the hall, heavy breathing and muffled moans and cries assaulted my ears. Fucking hell. Duro and Spartacus.

 

Turning on the spot, I went right back downstairs and plopped onto the living room couch, not even bothering to turn the light on. Hearing those two shouldn’t have bothered me, but with my thoughts being so fucked up, I couldn’t help it. Of course, I would never, could never, begrudge Duro his happiness after everything that had happened. He deserved it.

 

I sat there for fuck knows how long, wallowing in my own self-pity, and afraid to go back upstairs. It was so stupid of me, but yeah. Who wants to hear people getting it on when their own future is so uncertain?

 

“Ow! Shit!”

 

Startled, I jumped to my feet and peered over the back of the couch. Spartacus, fully dressed except for his shoes, was holding onto the back of the couch, hopping on one foot. He held his other foot in his free hand, rubbing his toes.

 

“That end table’s a bitch in the dark, isn’t it?” I chuckled. He jumped, letting go of his foot, only to put his hand on his chest in surprise.

 

“Fuck!” He whisper-yelled. “You almost gave me a heart attack, Agron!”

 

“Sorry,” I said with a grin. “Duro asleep?” Even in the dark, I could see the blush creep up his cheeks.

 

“Yeah,” he said, starting to fidget. “I...I guess I better go.”

 

“Might as well stay,” I replied. “No sense in you having to sneak in and out all the time.”

 

Spartacus’s face reminded me of the fish in the aquarium, all bug eyed and open mouthed.

 

“Yes, I’m serious,”I rounded the couch and turned him in the direction of the stairs. “Go, so you can get some sleep. Morning’s going to come early.”

 

His shock finally faded, and he gave me a huge grin before bounding back upstairs.

 

With a heavy sigh, I resumed my place on the couch. Nope, there would be no sleep for me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!! See ya next time!!
> 
> Penny
> 
> P.S. Go check out my Tumblr...search Mrs. Agget. I am thinking of doing some Tumblr prompt drabbles. Please let me know what you think!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all!
> 
> Huge thanks to DelphiusFanfic, for prereading and to Harrytwifan, for betaing. I dunno what I would do without those girls! Mwah!
> 
> I do not own Spartacus.
> 
> Enjoy!

NPOV

 

I did not want to be on the dirty stinking bus. I had gotten used to the sight, sound, and smell of the open fields and dusty barn of the Brandt Ranch. When the warden let me know I was to be one of the ones to be on the experimental work detail, I was ecstatic. To get out of that damned cell for eight hours a day was a fucking Godsend. Too bad the powers that be didn’t think up the idea for the work program six months ago.

 

Leaning my head back against the high, fake leather seat, I closed my eyes. The weariness was already setting in from the day’s work. I wouldn’t trade it for the world, though. I’d all but forgotten what it felt like to work a steady job. My one-year anniversary in the prison was coming up, and then I would be free to do whatever I wanted.

 

The sixty-five thousand dollar question was: what did I want to do? I could go out and try to find a construction job or some other type of manual labor, if they could overlook my criminal record. I could never have a job in an office building, even as a janitor. They’d laugh their fucking asses off if I even suggested it. In the back of my mind, I knew what I wanted to do. I was afraid to admit it to myself, though, scared it would never be possible.

 

My thoughts were interrupted as the bus jerked to a stop.

 

“Welcome home, ladies!” Dustin yelled, following with hysterical laughter. If I knew I wouldn’t be seen, I would have flipped him the bird.

 

Dutifully, we filed off of the bus. Donar and Nemetes were still sulking; their faces were creased in identical frowns. They knew they were going to have to go in front of the warden to face the consequences of their actions. Fighting on work detail? They would be lucky if they didn’t end up in solitary for a week.

 

I didn’t share a cellblock with anyone else on work detail, and when I walked in, the usual calls greeted me.

 

Ashur, a big hairy guy and resident bully: “Oh look! The warden’s ass licker is home!”

 

Quintus, a tall gangly man with a tattoo of an eagle with spread wings across his shoulders: “Ah, gay boy’s back! Did you enjoy having cock rammed in ass?”

 

The two fuckheads fell against each other, laughing. Just like always, I ignored them and went into my cell. Pietros, my brand new cellmate of three days, was sitting at the small desk next to the sink, his curly head lowered.

 

“Hey, man,” I said, tapping him on the shoulder. “How’d today go?”

 

He raised his head, and I was shocked to see a spectacular bruise beginning to form across his cheek.

 

“What the fuck happened?” I was pissed.

 

“I think you know,” he answered quietly, and then pillowed his head on his arms on top of the desk.

 

Fucking Ashur. That man had it out for Pietros since the boy walked through the door. He got busted for public drunkenness and disturbing the peace, which was only a week’s sentence, but that didn’t matter to any of the big men in the place. All they cared about was showing the others who was boss in the cellblock.

 

Oh, I had my run in with Ashur when I arrived. He accosted me in the shower, telling me he was chief rooster around the place and I’d better not think any different. I stood up to him, as much as my five foot eight inch frame would allow, and told him he better watch his shit. Ashur popped me a good one in the eye then, for back talking him. What he hadn’t planned on was my retaliation. As he turned around, laughing with Quintus, I kicked him from behind, right in the balls. When he bent over, howling in pain, I walked around and kneed him in the nose.

 

Of course, I got solitary for that, and Ashur took a trip to the infirmary. After that incident, neither he, nor Quintus, dared to bother with me.

 

“I’ll deal with Ashur,” I told Pietros quietly. He remained silent, just as I figured he would.

 

The thing about prisons is, even though people are in for all sorts of different shit, the fact remains they are cons, and each one has a number. They get put into ‘the system’ and are forgotten. The men and women who did the crimes and have to serve their time are still people, though. That is one thing I made sure, from my very first day, I would never forget.

 

When the guard brought dinner, I was pleased to see it was Aurelia. Since I had come to the prison, she always acted sweet around me, batting her eyelashes and shit. If she only knew, but I damn sure didn’t say anything, one way or the other. I whispered in her ear to check out Pietros, and that Ashur had been the culprit. She barely nodded and handed me my tray.

 

As usual, the food was subpar, but I ate like a man who hadn’t eaten in a week. There was something about the outdoors that built a man’s appetite.

 

The food at the ranch was much better. I could get used to it. As I finished my meal, I watched the guard who had handed out the trays call for Ashur, cuff him, and then take him out into the hall. Pietros gave me a frightened glance. Clapping him on the back, I told him it would be alright.

 

I was glad Pietros only had a few days left to be there. It would bug the hell out of me if he still had time to do when I was released. That’s one thing I tried not to do since I entered the prison: get close to anyone. Sure, if the other guys were nice to me, I’d be nice, but I refused to forge any lasting friendships.

 

Ashur returned while I was finishing in the showers, looking properly ashamed. I didn’t know what happened with the guard, nor did I care. I just hoped he would leave Pietros alone.

 

It may sound funny, but I always hated having to shower after returning from my work detail. I would have liked to have the fresh smell of horses and hay in my hair while I slept. My pillowcase would smell like the barn I was starting to think of as my home away from home.

 

After getting dressed and returning to my cell, I brushed my teeth and hair, then crawled onto my bunk. It was the bottom one, thank God. I was too fucking tired every day to have to climb onto the top one.

 

The room was hot, even with the air conditioning, so I pushed the blanket down to the end of the cot and threw the sheet over my middle, covering my standard issue white boxers. I slept shirtless, as most of us usually did, and the cool sheet felt good against my back. Every time I moved, the thin so-called mattress creaked under me. It sounded like plastic crinkling. I wouldn’t miss that shit when I was finally freed.

 

No matter how bone weary I was, I couldn’t settle down enough to sleep at night until lights out was called and Pietros was snoring in the bunk above me. Most of the guys sat around in the common area of the cellblock, playing cards or watching television. I preferred to lie alone and think. And since I started work detail, I had a lot to occupy my mind.

 

That first day we went out to the ranch, I had no idea what to expect. I maintained my indifferent exterior, but inside, I was scared shitless. All sorts of crazy thoughts ran through my head.

 

When I saw the owners of the ranch, though, all my insecurities went out the window. They were regular guys, quick with a joke and a laugh, and most importantly, they treated us cons like we were regular people, too. They didn’t give us backbreaking work; they had us doing regular farm chores. The other ranch hands were nice, too, but that first day, I hesitated to make conversation with anyone. I guess you could say I wanted to get the feel of the place.

 

I’ll never forget when I got off of the bus and caught sight of the two Brandt brothers. Duro was shorter than his obviously older brother, with dark brown hair and kind eyes. Agron...well, I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. I even remembered that he was dressed in faded jeans and a blue plaid shirt, open almost halfway. He was tall, way taller than me, and had a lighter color brown hair and startlingly green eyes. Those fuckers, along with the twin dimples and crooked fang tooth when he smiled wide, were my downfall.

 

I was drawn in from the first time he smiled like that while greeting us. It was no secret I was gay. I didn’t believe in hiding myself. If people didn’t like the way I was, fuck them.

 

As the day wore on, I stole as many glances of Agron as I could. I liked watching him work with the others, helping them if they needed it. My background gave me an advantage of knowing how to do some farm stuff, so I made sure I didn’t need his instruction. The main reason for that was because if he had to help me with something, I wasn’t sure how I would act. No doubt, I would make an asshole out of myself.

 

As if working around him didn’t cause my mind to run overdrive, I was floored when he tried to make conversation with me. I didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t sound stupid. What would a prisoner have to say to anyone that was worth anything anyway? I answered him the shortest way I could get away with, hoping like fuck he didn’t think I was being rude. I was a little melancholy when the day’s work ended, but the knowledge that I would be going back the next day kept me going.

 

It didn’t take long for me to start really looking forward to going to the ranch. Agron and I had a few tentative conversations, and they went okay. He always looked at me like he wanted to say something, but didn’t quite dare to. What didn’t help was Oenomaus was always there, breathing down my neck. He made me feel awkward, like I couldn’t be myself.

 

As time went on, I found myself searching Agron out on purpose, asking him to show me how to do shit I already knew, just so we could be close. I think he knew what I was doing, though, because every time he came to help me, he would flash me that perfect grin of his.

 

I was fucking scared as hell when I delivered that colt. Agron and Duro were so upset, I had to do something. Being on my uncle’s goat farm had taught me how to birth baby goats, but I didn’t really have that much knowledge about horses.

 

Our first encounter with the colt Agron was trying to put the rope halter on broke my resolve. I showed him how to do it, and he looked so awed at the way I handled the animal, it was useless to try not to smile at him. He had intentionally brushed his hand against mine that day in the barn, and it was then I knew his intentions. I remembered how my stomach flipped when our skin made contact, making me blush like a little schoolgirl.

 

He gave me responsibility over the colt’s training that day, and I’d be damned if i fucked it up. The animal didn’t need much tending, really, so it gave me ample opportunity to watch Agron in action. I got to see him ride a horse into the pasture to chase down a filly that had escaped the paddock. Damn, that man looked fine on horseback.

 

I also got to witness him throwing bales of hay off the back of the truck after coming from the pasture. My eyes took in every line of his body as he bent in those fucking incredible jeans he wore, teasing me to no end with the curve of his ass. I watched his strong, muscled arms as he threw the bales and stacked them, and that fanned the flames even more. It had been a long time since I had a guy, and fucking hell, I wanted Agron. Badly.

 

Pietros walked into the cell, interrupting my thoughts and making me realize my cock was hard as fuck. I covered it the best I could, until my cellmate clambered up onto the top bunk. The lights went out and the steel doors clanged shut, signaling lights out. Pietros mumbled a good night, and I half-heartedly answered him. I had something to take care of.

 

The moment I heard the first snore from the top bunk, I reached out and grabbed the roll of toilet paper off the small desk. That was the only good thing about small prison cells. You only had to get off of the cot if you needed the sink or toilet.

 

Tearing off a rather large bit of paper, I crumpled it up and laid it beside me. Then I pushed the sheet and my boxers down, exposing my still hard cock to the cool air. It felt good.

 

Closing my eyes, I thought of the day all of us got caught in the rain. We were fixing a large fence break, and the rain came with no warning. Large drops fell slowly at first, sending up little puffs of dust as they hit the dirt. Before we could get back to the barn, the slow drops turned into a downpour. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Agron as we trudged through the pasture toward the shelter of the barn.

 

His hair was flat against his head; rainwater ran down his beautiful face in slow rivulets, dripping off of his nose and chin. When he saw me looking, he grinned that impossible grin and laughed aloud. He looked fucking divine.

 

When we reached the barn, sopping wet and making mud everywhere, Agron stripped off his shirt and wrung the water out. If I didn’t know any better, I would swear my mouth hit the barn floor. His chest and back were just as muscled as his arms, perfectly proportioned. His jeans rode low on his hips, soaked and clinging to his muscled legs, and that’s when I saw it. The tattoo.

 

There, on his right hipbone, was a small tattoo. It looked like a tribal symbol of some kind. I didn’t know what, but fuck, it was goddamn sexy. I wanted to drop to my knees and lick the rain off of each line and curve of the art.

 

Replaying each water droplet running down his chest, I gave my cock a long, slow pull. It felt so fucking good; I had to bite my lip so I wouldn’t moan out loud. The man had me under his thumb and didn’t even know it.

 

Fuck it. I was too wired to go slow. The thought of me and Agron, alone in the barn, with me on my knees as I kissed and sucked on that inked skin, had me fisting my cock in earnest. I lifted my hips with every pull, fucking into my hand, wishing it were Agron’s cock fucking into me.

 

I imagined Agron’s brilliant eyes, hooded with pleasure, as he looked down at me. He would thread his fingers through my hair and pull slightly, just the way I liked it.

 

Oh, holy fuck. I was close. My balls tightened in the familiar way, one I hadn’t felt in so long, and I reveled in the feeling.

 

Biting down harder on my lip, I hissed at the slight sting. When I imagined Agron’s happy smile as he greeted me each morning with a call of my name, I was done for.

 

Just in time, I grabbed the toilet paper and held it over the head of my cock as I jerked and trembled through an intense orgasm. Jesus fucking Christ, it felt like I would never stop coming.

 

When I was finally spent, I laid there completely boneless, trying to regain my composure. When the feeling came back into my arms, I rolled over and tossed the used paper into the toilet, and then got more to finish cleaning myself with.

 

Using the last of my strength, I pulled up my boxers and the sheet, and then leaned over to flush the toilet. Falling back into bed, I sighed deeply. The post orgasm floaty feeling still hummed through my body. I couldn’t deny myself any more. When I got out of prison, the first place I planned on going was to Brandt Ranch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! See y'all next time!
> 
> Penny


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! Hope you enjoy this chap!
> 
> Thanks to DelphiusFanfic and Harrytwifan, my editing dream team. :) My work would be crap without them.
> 
> I do not own Spartacus.

APOV

 

As it turned out, the warden allowed the work detail to continue. I was so relieved when three of

the cons showed the next day, minus Nemetes and Donar. They ended up with three days in

solitary confinement as punishment for their fight.

 

Time went on, and so did the work. Haying was in full swing, taking most of our time. Varro,

Barca, Duro, Spartacus, and Crixus had all three tractors going, making bales as fast as they

could. I stayed near the barn, helping the detainees unload the truck as they came pulling into the

yard.

 

The weather was cooler, hinting at autumn. Luckily, we were making good time. All of the corn

had been harvested and taken to town by Duro and I. We had a good sale, with plenty stored

away for us to use during the winter.

 

The filly and colt Nasir had taken such a shine to had their training completed and were returned

to their owners. We then contacted the next person on the waiting list. They brought us a huge

three-year old filly named Snowflake, for obvious reasons. She was surely a stubborn one,

bucking every time we dared to touch her with the lead rope. It was going to be a  challenge to

get that horse trained in time for the owner’s daughter’s birthday in November.

 

Once again, I was having trouble sleeping. It was two days until October first. Two short days,

and Nasir would be free of the place he’d been confined to for so long. He may have thought I

was messing around when I mentioned working here after he got out, but I was dead serious.

 

I laid in bed the night before Nasir’s release, many different scenes running through my mind.

Nasir, a free man, riding through the pasture on one of the horses. He and I chopping and

stacking wood for the fireplace in the winter. Cozy nights of snuggling on the couch in front of the

television. Waking up every morning to the feel of his warm body next to mine. Fuck, it was like a

dream. One I wanted to come true so badly. The last images I saw behind my eyelids as I drifted

off to sleep were of Nasir’s eyes sparkling with happiness, and his mouth curved in a big smile,

just for me.

 

The next day was...trying, to say the least. I couldn’t focus on anything, because my mind was

going a mile a minute, wondering what Nasir was doing, whether he had been released, and if he

had, would he show up at the ranch.

 

Around three o’clock that afternoon, Crixus made me go to town with him to pick up supplies. He

said it would keep me occupied, and that I needed to get away from the barn for a while. It helped

a little, but not much. I was relieved when we were finally finished and on the way home.

 

“What the…” Crixus mumbled as he came to a stop in the driveway.

 

 

 

I looked up from the grocery store receipt I was reading to see what was wrong, and for a split

second, I thought I was dreaming. Nasir, dressed in sweats, a T-shirt, and trainers, was sitting

on the front porch steps.

 

“Holy shit,” I whispered, unable to stop the huge smile on my face.

 

Dropping the paper I was holding, I got out of the truck and headed toward the porch.

 

“Nasir!” I called happily. Joy built in my chest, threatening to choke me. Nasir stood to greet me,

a big smile on his gorgeous face.

 

When I reached him, I took his face in my hands and kissed his grinning lips. He hugged me

hard and I returned in kind.

 

“I’m so happy you’re here,” I whispered into his hair. “I didn’t know if you would come back.”

 

He pulled back a little to look at me. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

 

I kissed him again, soft and slow and lingering, then pressed my forehead against his.

 

“So tell me, cowboy,” he said. “Is the ranch hand job still available?”

 

“You better fucking believe it is,” I answered, taking his hands in mine. “Come on and I’ll show

you the bunkhouse.”

 

Forgetting all about Crixus and the supplies still in the back of the truck, I pulled Nasir by the hand

around back of the house. The bunkhouse wasn’t too far behind. It was a cozy three bedroom;

plain, yet functional. None of the regular hands seemed to mind it. They were in the main house

a lot of  the time anyway.

 

“We have Barca and Varro sharing a room, and Crixus and Spartacus share another. Since

Crixus was hired first, I’ll put him in a room of his own, and you and Spartacus can bunk

together. Will that be alright?”

 

“Sounds good,” Nasir replied.

 

Looking around, I asked, “Where’s your stuff?”

 

Embarrassment passed over his face. He looked at the hardwood floor a moment, then

mumbled, “I have nothing.”

 

“You will, don’t worry,” I said and rested my hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me with those

impossibly dark eyes, full of gratitude and relief. I couldn’t imagine going through what Nasir had

 

 

endured. Being in prison for any length of time, then getting out, only to have nothing to your

name, nowhere to go, and no job? I couldn’t do it, and I thought Nasir was one of the strongest

men I had ever met.

 

“Want to help me make dinner?” I asked suddenly, hoping to lighten the mood.

 

“Yeah.” A brilliant smile graced Nasir’s features. I led him back to the main house, where all of

the hands were gathered putting away the purchases I made in town.

 

“Thanks a lot for the help, fuckwit,” Crixus said. He bumped my shoulder, then walked to the

cupboard with boxes of pasta.

 

“What the hell do you think I pay you for?” I quipped, resting my arm across the back of Nasir’s

shoulders. God, it felt so good to be able to do that without a guard watching us like a hawk.

“Guys,” I continued, “say hello to our new hand.”

 

Everyone called their ‘hello’s and ‘welcome’s to Nasir. I was proud of the guys for making him

feel at home.

 

Duro walked over and shook Nasir’s hand, then leaned in close. “Should  I start calling you

‘brother’ as well?” he asked with a wry grin and a raise of his eyebrows.

 

Nasir’s face pinked adorably, and I smacked Duro on the back of the head.

 

“Go away, Duro. Let the man breathe.”

 

Nasir shook off his embarrassment. “What are we cooking?”

 

“I don’t really know yet,” I laughed. “What would you like?”

 

“Doesn’t matter,” Nasir answered with a smile.

 

“Okay, guys, listen up!” I called. Five sets of eyes found mine as they stopped what they were

doing. “Nasir is a free man now and has joined our staff here. What do you say we treat him to a

real, home-cooked meal?”

 

Murmurs of assent rumbled through the kitchen. I led Nasir to the table and gestured for him to

sit.

 

“Relax and watch the magic,” I said with a wink before giving him a brief kiss.

 

I walked over to Varro and Spartacus at the sink.

 

 

 

“Varro, you are in charge of mashed potatoes. Spartacus, why don’t you go down to the cellar

and bring up some carrots. You can make them glazed, like you do on Thanksgiving.”

 

He nodded and left the room.

 

“Crixus, you’re in charge of making biscuits. Barca, grab some corn to boil. Duro and I will fry

some chicken.”

 

Everyone set to work, chatting amiably amongst each other and including Nasir when they could.

They ribbed him about being lucky he didn’t have to help with the cooking, and Nasir assured

them he would help clean up afterwards.

 

An energy built of excitement buzzed through my body while I cooked. Watching Nasir, Duro,

and the hands getting along and laughing...hell, the fact that the man was sitting at my kitchen

table, free and there of his own will, had my heart thrumming in my chest and my cock half hard

in my jeans.

 

Damn. Even in sweats, Nasir was sexy. The whole time he was on work detail, his hair was up

in a messy bun. It was captivating to see it pulled back at the sides, bound with a rubber band at

the back of his head while the rest fell just below his shoulders. It caught the light every time he

moved his head and looked so soft, I wanted to bury my fingers in it. I promised myself I would do

that, as soon as the chance presented itself.

 

The meal took forever to prepare, but when it was done and set out on the table, it looked great.

Everyone took their seats. Duro sat on one side of Nasir, and I sat on the other.

 

“Help yourself,” I told Nasir. “I hope you like it.”

 

We all prepared our plates and began to eat, chatting about the work we had accomplished and

what was left to come. I promised myself I would talk to Duro later about the books. He would be

pleased to see we were finally making a profit.

 

I looked around the table at the men I considered my family and sighed in contentment. Finally, it

seemed like my life was pulling together.

 

Nasir was completely different than when we shared meals while he was in prison. He talked,

laughed, and joked with the other hands as if he had known them for years. I was happy to see it.

His comfort gave me hope for the future.

 

As everyone finished up, I let the guys know they had to do some rearranging in the bunkhouse

and that Nasir would be sharing a room with Spartacus. Crixus was thrilled to hear he would

have a room to himself, saying he wouldn’t have to put up with Spartacus’ snoring anymore.

 

 

 

Spartacus punched him in the arm, then smiled happily at Nasir.

 

“I don’t have a problem sharing the room with you, but please, don’t listen to that jackass. I don’t

snore.”

 

Duro fake coughed out a ‘bullshit!’ causing the rest of us to laugh loudly.

 

The meal ended with a lot of teasing Spartacus, who took it in stride, begging Duro to stick up for

him. My brother was having none of it, preferring to tease right along with the others as they

cleared their plates and piled them in the sink.

 

“Nasir and I will clean the kitchen,” I informed him. “You guys might want to switch around the

rooms in the bunkhouse.”

 

I was the one suddenly being teased with over-exaggerated winks and poking in the ribs.

 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” I said with a grin while they left the house.

 

The lack of noise was startling. Still smiling, Nasir stacked the dishes next to the sink while I

wrapped up the leftovers and put them in the fridge. When I was finished, I joined him at the sink.

 

“Did you enjoy dinner?” I asked, filling the sink with hot soapy water.

 

“I did. Is it like this every night?”

 

“Mostly. Tonight was special, though. We usually don’t make such a big meal, except on

holidays.”

 

“I see now that you guys really are a family,” he commented.

 

I looked at him and spoke quietly and earnestly. “One I hope you will want to be a part of.”

 

Nasir looked up at me through those long lashes of his and nodded shyly. “I do,” he whispered.

 

Reaching out without taking my eyes off the beauty before me, I shut the water off. My hands

found Nasir’s hips of their own accord, and I walked him backwards until his back was against

the wall. Moving in close, I buried my face in his hair, right against his neck.

 

Inhaling deeply, I mumbled, “You have been torturing me all fucking evening.”

 

Without waiting for a reply, I lifted my face and kissed Nasir’s parted lips, slow and soft to make it

last. That brought him to motion. He reached up and cupped the back of my head, pulling me

harder against him.

 

 

 

I barely managed to hold back a satisfied moan as I opened my mouth to kiss him fully. Fucking

shit, he tasted good.

 

With a soft noise and a firm grip on my shoulder, Nasir slid his tongue into my mouth, tilting his

head to reach better. I was lost, kissing him back and stealing his very breath.

 

I stepped closer, pushing my body against his. He moved one of his legs to the side so I could

slide my thigh between them.

 

“Jesus Christ,” I muttered, moving to kiss and suck on the skin of his neck.

 

“Agron,” he gasped, using one hand to reach behind him and pull his hair out of the way. His

hand then traveled to the front of my shirt, where he fumbled with pulling it out of my jeans.

 

Reluctantly moving back a little, I stared into Nasir’s black eyes and helped him. When it was

free, he grabbed the front with both fists and pulled me back to him for a fiery kiss.

 

Fucking hell, I couldn’t get enough of him. I fitted my thigh between his again and kissed him with

lips, teeth, and tongue. My senses were in overdrive, thriving on the feel, smell, and taste of the

man in front of me.

 

It was my turn to gasp and pull back, open mouthed, as Nasir slid his hands up the front of my

shirt and scraped his fingertips over my nipples. He was grinning a mischievous grin, cheeks

flushed with desire, and I swore to myself I had never seen anything so gorgeous in my life.

 

“Fuck, Nasir,” I panted, then returned to his neck with earnest. He moaned in my ear at the

contact and let his head fall back against the wall with a dull thump.

 

I took the opportunity to trail sucking kisses along his throat and down to the collar of his shirt,

skimming over his nipples with my fingernails. They were already hardened with pleasure, as

was his cock. I could feel it pressing against my thigh.

 

“Holy shit,” he groaned. I pushed against it, and he gripped my shoulders to pull me close again.

 

“You’ve got me hard as fuck,” I panted against his lips before taking them in another fierce kiss.

 

My hips moved on instinct, pushing and rolling against his to get the friction I so desperately

needed. Nasir groaned throatily against my mouth, matching my rhythm. I could so easily have

rubbed off on him and not be embarrassed at coming in my jeans. My whole body tingled with

desire. My brain begged for more, harder, faster.

 

“I could come like this,” I muttered against the sweaty skin of my boy’s neck.

 

 

 

“Fuck yes...been too long...for me…” Nasir panted.

 

Lifting my head, I sucked Nasir’s bottom lip into my mouth and scraped it with my teeth. He

whimpered, put his palms flat on my chest, and pushed just enough to make me pull away and

look at him. My body was screaming, heart hammering in my chest, wanting completion. Staring

into Nasir’s lust-ridden face didn’t help.

 

“Did I -” I started. Nasir interrupted with two fingers pressed against my mouth.

 

“You were doing everything right,” he said. “I just need to tell you what you’re getting into with me,

because once I have you trembling in my arms with pleasure, I’m never letting go.”

 

Desire quickly faded, replaced by concern. I cupped his face with my hands and gently rubbed

my thumbs over the soft skin in front of his ears.

 

“What is it?” I whispered.

 

“The...the reason I was in the joint is because I was busted for gang related activity,” Nasir

answered.

 

“So? All that’s over now.”

 

“No, you don’t understand,” Nasir replied and moved to the sink. He started washing dishes.

“When you’re involved with a gang, it’s hard to get out. I wanted out and got caught on purpose,

so I could get away from them. If they find me...who knows what they would do.”

 

It had been too long since I felt any sort of interest towards a man, and Nasir had me captivated

so much I couldn’t worry about what he’d admitted at the moment. I wanted something steady

with him, and that included his past and anything that had happened there. Putting my finger

under his chin, I raised his face so he was looking at me.

 

“I don’t care, Nasir. You walked in here and turned my world upside down. After my parents, and

the farm struggling, I didn’t know if I could make it. I was so lonely until you came into my life.”

 

With a small smile, Nasir resumed his task. I moved to the other side of the sink to rinse the

dishes and stack them in the drainer.

 

“I’m not concerned about me, Agron,” he continued. “I am concerned for you, your brother, and

the rest of the hands. Good people should not have to suffer for my fuck-ups.”

 

I shook my head.

 

 

 

“We all will protect you here, Nasir, and take things as they come. My feelings for you have

grown since we started hanging out on the work detail.”

 

“And mine have for you. I just...I don’t know. I had to tell you before we became too involved.”

 

“Too late for that,” I chuckled, then stacked the last of the glasses in the drainer. “I want to be

with you, Nasir. As a couple. We will be able to get through anything together, if you give us a

chance.” I paused. Nasir looked up from the sink with a half smile, like he couldn’t believe what I

was saying.

 

“You have no idea how much I want that,” he whispered.

 

“You can have it.”

 

Nasir took his hands out of the water, dried them on the dish towel, then pulled me closer with

his fingers in my belt loops.

 

“Thank you,” he said, reaching up to brush my lips with his.

 

“No thanks necessary,” I grinned. “Now let’s get these dishes finished, because I’d like to spend

some quality time with you before you head out to the bunkhouse.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! Hope you enjoy this one! :D
> 
> Hugs and smooches to DelphiusWrites and Harrytwifan for their awesome prereading and betaing.
> 
> I do not own Spartacus.

**NPOV**

 

Even though I was on the work detail for two months and at the ranch every day except weekends, the niceness of everyone was startling. It was so different, being on the ranch without shackles or guards watching every move I made. All of the hands made me feel welcome and wanted. Considering where I’d spent the last two years, that was a foreign feeling.

 

The bed I was currently laying in was the softest I could remember. I wasn’t used to such comfort. Spartacus told me I was welcome to borrow any of his clothing until I got my first paycheck and could go shopping.

 

I laid in the bed and thanked every God I could think of for the work program and the opportunity it gave me since being released. If Agron hadn’t offered me the position as a hand, I didn’t know what I would have done. I got put in the slammer on purpose, to escape the gang life. Going to the ranch after my release was a big risk. I sure as hell didn’t want to put any of the people on the ranch in danger. I didn’t know where to go when I got out, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Agron and ended up on his steps.

 

It was no secret to anyone that Agron and I liked each other. Maybe the gang expected me to go back with them. Who knows? Too late now. I was free from prison and employed on Agron’s ranch. Honestly, it was the only place I wanted to be.

 

Tonight, after everyone left and Agron and I were alone, my head and my heart were finally content. I had it bad for the man. And the making out! Jesus, that beat my right hand any day. I was desperate to let it continue, but I had to tell him about being in the gang before I could let our passion go any further. He deserved to know everything about me. Especially if we were going to try to make things work between us.

 

However, guilt niggled in the back of my mind at the fact I didn’t tell him exactly what I did in the gang. We all had a specific job to do in the Wildcats. Mine was to be the hit man. If someone crossed the leaders, I was sent to get rid of them. I was good at it, too. My darker skin, and hair and short stature, allowed me to creep up on the person unaware. It made it a lot easier to put a silenced bullet in the back of their head.

 

I joined the Wildcats when I was eighteen, fresh out of high school. My grandma took care of me for as long as I could remember, put me through school, and the only reason I graduated at all was to make her happy and proud for everything she sacrificed for me. She passed right after I graduated, and I felt lost, like I had no place in the world. One of the leaders of the gang spotted me in a bar. He approached me with an offer to join, and I accepted.

 

As the years went on, I stayed loyal, keeping secrets and doing my job. By the time I hit twenty-one, I was ready to get out, even though I was respected and basically stood as the boss’s right hand.

 

The reason I wanted out so much was because of a hit gone wrong. Dude owed the boss money and refused to pay. I snuck into his house one night, expecting him to be alone. Quickly and efficiently, I did what I went there to do, and moved to get the hell out of there. Right as I was opening the window to leave, a small cry startled me.

 

Turning around, I saw a little girl, about five or six, standing in the shadows of the doorway. She held a doll close to her chest with one arm and had the other thumb in her mouth. Fat tears were rolling down her face, and when her bright blue eyes met mine, her breath hitched and she asked, “Why hurt brother? Why?”

 

I got the hell out of there. That beautiful little girl’s voice rang through my head the whole way back to headquarters. I was so disgusted with myself, I had to stop and throw up on the way. The boss was pleased as punch when I got back with the news that my job was complete, but I was a  mess. No hit ever bothered me before. Usually, all I cared about was pleasing the boss and earning respect. I never gave a thought to the families of the people I killed. Until that night.

 

After thinking it over for a few days, I robbed a convenience store in broad daylight with a bunch of witnesses inside. I didn’t care that I would be thrown in jail. All I knew was I had to get out of the gang right then, or the guilt over what I’d done would kill me.

 

Two years in the clink, and every night, I woke up drenched in sweat and tears from that little girl crying in my dreams.

 

There was no way I could admit that part of my past to Agron. He would be disgusted and throw me out on my ass, leaving me with basically no future at all. I liked him and the others a lot, and didn’t want them to think bad of me. I was only following orders, but still. The blood of someone’s dad, brother, or uncle was on my hands and that was something that wouldn’t be washed off easily. One day, when I came to peace over what I’d done, maybe I could share and hopefully, Agron would understand.

 

Turning over to face the wall, I tried to force those thoughts out of my mind. I was a different man now. Prison had ways of changing a person. All I could hope for was to have a meaningful life with happiness, prosperity, and hopefully, love.

 

With Spartacus’ light snores in my ears and the whispering of a soft breeze outside the window, I closed my eyes to try to get some sleep.

 

**~O~**

 

The first week at the ranch as a free man was interesting. Work was the same as it was on detail at the joint, but all the time after was something I had to get used to. I enjoyed being able to do what I wanted when I wanted. The problem was I wasn’t used to all the camaraderie between everyone. I was always aware, waiting on the shoe to drop and some shit to be started. So far, there was none. It was too good to be true.

 

One thing I learned about life on the ranch was every Wednesday was movie night. All of us would gather in the main house, lounge around the living room after dinner, talk, drink if we wanted to, and put a movie on.

 

The first time, I was nervous.

 

Agron, in his usual laid-back way, pulled me down to sit next to him on the couch and casually slung his arm over my shoulders. It had been a long time since I’d had a boyfriend, and I wasn’t quite sure how to act. I was afraid I would be made fun of if I showed any affection to Agron with all the other guys there. I was much bolder when he and I were alone, which wasn’t as often as I liked.

 

The guys picked out an action movie and dimmed the lights. I chanced a look at Agron and found him staring at me with those impossibly green eyes shining with happiness. I smiled softly in return and laid my hand on his thigh. It was both a blessing and curse. The heat of his body radiated through his soft, worn jeans, warming my hand and leaving me wanting to feel more, preferably skin to skin.

 

Agron’s scent assaulted my senses. Fresh smelling soap and pure man. He was intoxicating.

 

The room was far from silent. Barca and Varro commented back and forth about the stunts and explosions in the movie as they happened. Duro and Spartacus nearly made me sick with their giggling and kissing in the chair across the room. Occasionally, Crixus and Agron would speak to each other about random shit. I joined them when I had something to say, but I was so fucking distracted, it was difficult.

 

I managed to cuddle right against Agron’s side during the film. He was so warm, it felt like the man had a built in heater. We hadn’t gone too far with each other since I’d come to live on the ranch. Mainly, we made out on the couch most evenings after all the other guys headed out to the bunk house. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want more, but I was unsure how Agron felt. If he wanted to take things slow, I’d feel like an idiot if I tried to initiate more.

 

The night ended up with Agron and I being cockblocked by Crixus running his mouth. With only a brief kiss to hold me over, I headed out to the bunk house and bed.

 

Throughout the next week, I was determined I wouldn’t let anyone come between me and my man. That night, at dinner,  I took advantage of my place next to Agron. While he talked, I slipped my hand under the table and skimmed my fingertips up his thigh. His words caught in his throat for a moment, then he continued speaking. Good. I had his attention. Boldly, I cupped his cock through his jeans and gave a little squeeze.

 

Agron’s words cut off abruptly, and I could see the blush creep up his neck and face. I acted innocent, pretending to be listening to his and Barca’s conversation.

 

Barca clued in right away, and grinned widely.

 

“You were saying, Agron?” he asked, his smile turning into a smirk. “Or are you being distracted?”

 

“I was saying...uh...there’s not going to be a movie tonight.” He turned to glare at me. The heat in his wild eyes seared me from the inside out. I couldn’t fucking wait for the meal to be over. Ignoring the jokes from the other guys, I concentrated on finishing my food.

 

Agron practically pushed everyone out the door as soon as their plates had been cleared. I heard him tell Crixus to shut the fuck up and to warn Duro to stay the hell away for at least two hours. When he closed the door behind them, I took his hand and pulled him toward the living room.

 

“The dishes…” he said with no real conviction.

 

“The dishes…” I pushed him onto the couch and dropped to my knees in front of him. “...can fucking wait.”

 

Leaning in close, I kissed him feverishly while fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. _Fucking cowboys and all their damn buttons._ I wanted warm skin under my hands.

 

Agron reached out for my shirt, but I smacked his hands away. There wasn’t enough time to be bothered with my clothes. Instead, he helped me with his.

 

Breaking our kiss, I slid my mouth down over Agron’s jaw to his neck. I skimmed my teeth over his pulse point before sucking it hard. Agron breathed out a moan, encouraging me to do all I could to make him fall apart.

 

Pushing his hands away from the last buttons of his shirt, I slid my own under the soft material to feel even softer skin covering firm muscles.

 

“I swear you are a god,” I said against Agron’s throat as I lowered myself to sit on my heels. I dragged my mouth down his heaving chest, scraping my nails against his nipples, which were already hardened with his desire.

 

Pressing wet kisses all over his stomach, I trailed my fingertips up and down Agron’s sides. The small noises he was making drove me insane with want. I wanted more. I wanted to hear him call my name as he came.

 

Unwilling to wait any longer, I pulled open the button of Agron’s jeans. They were button fly, I noticed, so I yanked just a bit harder, causing all of them to open. His cock, hard and wanting, deliciously pushed against his boxers.

 

“Jesus, Nasir,” Agron panted.

 

With a wicked smirk, I looked up at him through my lashes. He responded by running his thumb over my cheekbone as his head fell back against the couch.

 

Carefully, I freed his cock from his shorts. His moan of relief did not go unnoticed.

 

Licking my lips to get them nice and wet, I studied Agron’s dick for a moment. It wasn’t overly long, but God damn, it was fucking _thick_. Jesus Christ, I was going to enjoy myself.

 

“Fuck, you’re gorgeous,” I breathed over Agron’s cockhead. It twitched against his stomach.

 

Finally taking his hot length in my hand, I stroked twice to get the feel. He groaned from above me, a plea of sorts, and I was more than happy to comply.

 

In one quick move, I sucked just the head of Agron’s cock into my mouth. He gave a strangled cry as his back arched off the cushions.

 

“Holy _fuck!_ ”

 

Satisfied, I grinned around him and teased the underside of his dick with my tongue while pushing my mouth lower and lower. He was too big for me to push all the way down, so I stroked the rest in time with my head movements.

 

The weight and taste of him on my tongue was divine. I savored every movement, and used my tongue to its best advantage. My own cock throbbed in my jeans, eager for release. Shifting a little to the side, I used my free hand to rub myself. The relief was fucking amazing.

 

The moans and random swear words falling from Agron’s mouth only added fuel to the fire. He was trying his hardest not to thrust up into my mouth, but I wouldn’t care if he did. I wanted it.

 

I pulled the tie out of my hair. It fell in long waves over my face and Agron’s cock and stomach. Groaning, he threaded his hand through the strands.

 

“ _Nasir…_ ”

 

Hollowing my cheeks, I sucked hard with a slight graze of my teeth on the upstroke.

 

“Close,” Agron ground out, his voice low and raspy.

 

Groaning around his cock, I continued my pace, fast and frantic. Agron emitted a low whine, and I felt his dick swell against my tongue. Moaning again, I cradled his balls in my free hand. They fit perfectly, warm, tight, and firm.

 

Flipping my hair out of my face, I glanced up just in time to watch Agron’s eyes slip closed as a broken cry fell from his parted lips. Come, salty and warm, coated my tongue and throat. I sucked harder to get all I could from my man.

 

Sucking just the tip, I stroked Agron’s cock until he was spent, breathing hard and running his fingers through my hair.

 

Swallowing, I let go of his softening dick and grinned up at him.

 

“Fucking hell,” Agron mumbled. “Get your ass up here and kiss me.”

 

Rising back into a kneeling position, I wound my arms around Agron’s neck and kissed him sweetly. He was having none of that. A brush of his tongue against my lips had me opening mine, inviting him in.

 

We kissed lazily for a moment, then Agron pulled back enough to reach for the button of my jeans. I moved my hand to stop him.

 

“Too late,” I murmured against his mouth. “Came in my jeans.”

 

“Holy _shit,_ ” Agron whispered, then kissed me again. Tongues stroked and teeth nibbled for what felt like hours instead of minutes, until I slowly pulled away and got to my feet.

 

“I better go get a shower,” I chuckled.

 

Agron tucked himself back into his jeans and straightened his clothes. Standing, he wrapped his arms around me and held me close.

 

“Thank you for tonight,” he whispered into my hair, before moving it aside to kiss along my neck. Goosebumps prickled up the back of my head at the contact. “Was better than any fucking movie.”

 

“Wanted to,” I murmured. “Needed to.”

 

With a huge grin, Agron let me go and playfully swatted me on the ass. “Sleep well. I know I will.”

 

“Night,” I grinned, and left the house.

 

When I walked into the bunkhouse, I ignored all the guys’ cheering and catcalls and headed straight for the shower. I was a sticky mess, but it was fucking worth it. The image of Agron’s cock, and his face as I brought him pleasure, flitted through my mind over and over. I couldn’t believe my luck.

 

I was out of the joint, away from the Wildcats, got a great job, and finally had a man I could so easily fall in love with. There was something about Agron’s personality that made me want to be a better man, for him.

 

He was kind, funny, generous, and yes, I must admit, sexy as hell. He brightened my life so much, every day, and I hoped it would last forever.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! I'm sorry this is late! Forgive me? *bats lashes* 
> 
> A million and one thank yous go out to DelphiusFanfic, my prereader, and Harrytwifan, my beta. Dunno what I'd do without them!
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter! (It's longer than usual)
> 
> I do not own Spartacus.

APOV   

 

“I was thinking, brother,” Duro said the next afternoon while we mucked stalls.

 

“Uh oh,” I answered with a smirk. “That’s dangerous.”

 

“Shut the fuck up,” he laughed. “Seriously, it’ll be Halloween before too long, and I was wondering what you think about having the Fall dance here this year, like Mom and Dad used to.”

 

Duro’s statement hit me like a ton of bricks. I hadn’t given the dance a thought. Ever since I could remember, Mom and Dad held a barn dance around the end of October, to celebrate the end of the harvest and the prosperity of the ranch. Duro and I used to look forward to it. We always had such fun bobbing for apples and playing with the fake skeletons that hung all over the place. For us, it was a chance to play around all over the barn without having to work for a change.

 

Part of me wondered if it would be as fun as before, but another part felt guilty for not remembering to think of it. Our parents prided themselves on that dance every year. I should not have let it slip from mind.

 

“What are your thoughts on it?” I asked. Stopping my work, I leaned on my rake, watching Duro’s face.

 

Not looking up from his task, he answered, “I think it would be a good idea. I overheard Crixus and Barca talking about it last night, but didn’t say anything because I wanted to ask you first. The hands work hard here all year, and deserve it. The only thing I wonder is if it will be too painful for me and you.”

 

He stopped his work as well and looked at me with sad eyes.

 

I sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know what it would be like without Mom and Dad. You’re right, though. The hands deserve it. We could give it a shot, I guess.”

 

Duro nodded curtly and returned to his raking. I followed a moment after, my mind full of thoughts.

 

So caught up in Nasir since his release, I barely thought of Mom and Dad. It was shitty of me to let them go so easily. I missed them every day, but to not even spare them a fleeting thought was so wrong. I had been busy with haying and harvesting, yes, but I still felt like I let them down somehow. They were my fucking parents and deserved respect, even in death.

 

Those thoughts plagued me for the rest of the afternoon. It put me in a bad mood and made me snippy. When Varro asked at dinner if I was on my man-period, I barely restrained myself from knocking the shit out of him. I ended up leaving the table to go out on the porch.

 

The screen door banged behind me as soon as I was settled on the steps. I ignored it and stared up into the night sky, watching the thin clouds as they scudded over the moon.

 

A warm hand threaded its fingers through mine, while a different arm perched on my shoulders from the other side.

 

“Talk to us, brother,” Duro said and gave my shoulders a squeeze.

 

His voice was so soft, so caring, my eyes filled with unwanted tears. God, how long had it been since I cried over them? Seemed like ages.

 

I glanced first at Nasir, who was rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand. His eyes were wide and caring, his mouth set in a slight frown. Then I looked at Duro, whose eyes spoke of understanding, like I knew they would. Leave it to him to know what was going on in my head.

 

“I can’t believe I forgot about them,” I whispered. A tear fell from my bottom lashes onto the knee of my jeans.

 

Duro pulled me against him and I buried my head against his shoulder. The tears started to come more freely.

 

“You didn’t,” my brother said quietly. “You’ve been living your life, just like Mom and Dad would want you to. There’s no shame in that, Agron.”

 

“Yes there is,” I argued, my voice muffled by Duro’s shirt. “Until you mentioned the dance, I hadn’t given them a thought in weeks. Goddammit, I’m such a bad son.”

 

“You are not,” Nasir said earnestly from my other side. Surprised, I looked at him as he continued.

 

“From what I’ve heard all of you say about your parents, they were kind and loving. It was easy to know they only wanted the best for both of you and for you guys to be happy. I’m sure they’re overjoyed when they look down at you from the heavens.”

 

“You think so?” I asked, searching my boyfriend’s eyes for the truth I so desperately needed to ease my guilt.

 

“Positive,” he answered, a hint of a smile gracing his mouth.

 

“And I agree,” Duro said, hugging me to him tighter.

 

With the hand not occupied by Nasir’s, I wiped the errant tears from my cheeks.

 

“Thank you both,” I said quietly, looking down at my feet. “When I realized...I freaked a little and thought about it all day. It bothered me so much to think I…Damn, I wish you could have met them, Nasir. They would have loved you.”

 

I could imagine it: Mom fussing over Nasir’s hair and clothes all the time, and Dad rescuing him by taking him to the barn to do ‘guy stuff’.

 

“And I them,” Nasir replied, interrupting my thoughts. He put his finger under my chin to make me look at him. His eyes were shiny with emotion, and the slight smile on his lips was fucking breathtaking. I didn’t deserve such a good man.

 

Duro, satisfied I was alright, squeezed my shoulder one last time and stood.

 

“I’ll leave you guys alone. Don’t worry ‘bout the kitchen and shit. Me and the others will handle it.”

 

Nasir and I watched him walk into the house, and I leaned my head on his shoulder. He pulled his hand from mine to wrap his arm around my shoulders. I reached for his other hand and twined my fingers loosely through his.

 

We sat silent for quite a while. No words were needed; the comfort of each other’s presence was enough.

 

~O~

 

The announcement that we were going to have the dance had everyone in high spirits. If possible, they teased and bullshitted more than usual, which pleased me to no end. I sent everyone but Duro and myself to town to pick up decorations. We already had a nice stereo and plenty of music.

 

The week before the dance, I told everyone to get ready, because we were going out for a night on the town. Nasir, not wanting to be around any trouble, preferred not to go to any of the bars. Instead, he and I stapled flyers announcing the dance onto anything that would sit still. Mom and Dad always invited the whole town, and I wanted to keep the tradition.The purpose for the trip was not only to let the hands blow off some steam and advertise the dance, but to have them, hopefully, get a date. God knows they deserved some fun.

 

We worked at an almost inhuman pace the next week. Work, cleaning, cooking, and decorating had us so exhausted, it was all we could do to get showered before bed at night.

 

It was fun, digging out all the old decorations and hanging them all around the paddock fence and on the barn. It was more fun watching Nasir hang them. Every time he reached up to hang the lights, his shirt rode up, teasing me with glimpses of his tight, smooth stomach. Being so dead tired at night had me missing his touch. For days, all we shared was a brief kiss before he headed out to the bunkhouse. Needless to say, I was fucking horny.

 

I didn’t hide it, either. All the guys knew my plight and had great fun calling me out when they saw my eyes wandering. Nasir took it in stride, though, letting me know he knew with flushed cheeks and small smiles, which only served to inflame me further.

 

On Friday morning, I could hardly stand it anymore, and made the decision that after the dance, I would invite him to stay the night with me. It was past time, and if the way I caught him looking at me over the past days was any indication, he was just as ready as I was.

 

That afternoon, after lunch, we all sat at the table dividing up duties. Nasir and Spartacus were in charge of food and music. Varro and Barca were in charge of bobbing for apples and pony rides, while Crixus, Duro, and I would oversee the whole thing.

 

The flyer said the dance was only going to be three hours, from six to nine. I figured that would give us enough time after everyone left to be able to have some fun ourselves.

 

~O~

 

People began arriving just before six, and it did my heart good to know that Duro and I decided to continue the tradition. Smiling parents and happy, squealing kids made all of the effort and exhaustion melt away.

 

A few guests stopped to have a word with me and Duro, mainly to thank us for having the event, even though we lost our parents. Those conversations were awkward at best, and I was glad when they were over.

 

Overall, it was a great time. I just about pissed myself laughing when Varro showed a little girl how to hold on to the horse’s mane while she rode and, as he pulled, the horse listed to the side and he slid right off the animal’s back and landed on his ass in the dirt. His date, Aurelia, laughed so hard she choked on her punch.

 

Barca, the crazy fucker, was wet from the waist up, his hair dripping all over the place, as he showed the kids how to bob for apples.

 

The music was light and fun, country mixed with some classic Halloween songs no party at the end of October should be without. Nasir and Duro sang them with gusto, encouraging the guests to join in.

 

I stood back against the fence, taking everything in. The pumpkins sitting around with their carved out smiles cast a cheery glow all around, adding to the Halloween feel. The orange lights Nasir had hung around the barn doors twinkled merrily. It truly was a great party.

 

In the last half hour of the festivities, I brought out the burn barrel and piled it with hay and newspapers. The last activity was roasting marshmallows, and everyone, especially the kids, had great fun making a mess with the gooey sweets.

 

Nasir and I were able to catch a brief moment then, while everyone else was occupied. He walked over with a perfectly toasted marshmallow on a skewer and a sly smile on his beautiful face.

 

I slung my arm around his shoulders and gave him a big smile.

 

“Having fun?” I asked, making sure to keep an eye on the fire.

 

“Lots,” he said, and nudged my side.

 

I turned my full attention to him. He was holding the marshmallow between his thumb and forefinger, offering it to me. Leaning down, I sucked his fingers into my mouth, making sure to suck them gently as I took the sweet treat from between them.

 

His shaky sigh did not go unnoticed, and I let him go so I wouldn’t embarrass myself, Nasir, or any of the others.

 

When all of the guests were gone and it was only the hands, their dates, Duro, and I left, I held Nasir close, my nose nestled in the top of his hair. We swayed gently to the soft music still coming from the speakers. The glow of the firelight highlighted my man’s skin, giving him a golden hue. He smelled so fucking good, like hay and man with a hint of the shampoo he used. I was oblivious to everyone but him.

 

Feeling bold, I lowered my head and placed a soft kiss just under his ear. He sighed happily.

 

“Stay with me tonight,” I murmured against his ear, and kissed him again.

 

Nasir raised his head. Eyes the color of melted chocolate, reflecting the flickering flames, stared into mine. The most beautiful smile I’d ever seen graced his mouth.

 

“Been waiting on you to ask me that,” he replied.

 

“Is that a yes?”

 

“No,” he said. “It’s a hell yes.”

 

Smiling so big it made my cheeks hurt, I leaned in and gently kissed his mouth. He was having none of that. His hands gripped my shirt as he slid his tongue into my mouth. Fuck. That man stirred desire in me like I’d never known.

 

I responded in kind. Goosebumps prickled up the back of my neck. Before we could get fully involved in our kiss, Nasir pulled back so his lips barely touched mine.

 

“Take me to bed, Agron.”

 

Fuck the Gods, he didn’t have to tell me twice.

 

Grabbing Nasir’s hand, I pulled him along, heading for the house. I barely registered Duro and Spartacus standing next to the stereo. My brother snorted.

 

“Better stay away from the house for a while,” he mock whispered to his boyfriend.

 

I’d be sure to kick his ass later. At the moment, my mind was filled with...more pressing concerns.

 

The house was dark, but obviously Nasir didn’t mind. As soon as we were inside the kitchen, he attacked my mouth with lips, teeth, and tongue while pulling my shirt out of my jeans. He was making these fucking erotic little whimpers in the back of his throat and they were driving me insane.

 

Sliding my hands up the back of his T-shirt, I cupped Nasir’s shoulder blades in my hands, holding him to me. He grunted into my mouth and pulled away just long enough to pull my shirt open. Buttons flew everywhere, making little ticking noises as they scattered over the floor and table.

 

Nasir moved his mouth to my neck and sucked the skin into his mouth hard, no doubt trying to leave a mark, and fuck, it was hot. I returned the favor while walking us toward the living room. My name left Nasir’s lips in a breathy moan as I bit and sucked the sensitive skin underneath his ear.

 

He pushed my shirt off my shoulders, down my arms to my elbows. I let go of him long enough to get it the rest of the way off. Dropping it on the floor, I quickly pulled Nasir’s shirt over his head. His eyes, feral and dark, met mine as I threw the offending garment somewhere to the side. I had never seen anything so sexy in my life.

 

“Agron,” he whispered through panting breaths. Placing his hands flat against my stomach, my boy trailed them slowly up my chest, only stopping long enough to scrape a fingernail over one of my nipples. It sent a shock of desire up my spine so hard, it was a wonder I was still standing.

 

“Fucking Christ,” I growled. In one swift move, I lifted Nasir up against me and he wrapped his legs around my waist. The hard line of his cock pressed against mine. Just that little bit of contact had me rolling my eyes in pleasure.

 

Nasir made good use of me holding all of his weight. Using his thighs for leverage, he rubbed against me from chest to cock. I buried my face in his neck again, kissing and licking until I reached his ear.

 

“Not gonna last if you keep that up,” I managed to breathe out.

 

“Fuck me,” he groaned. “Need it. Want it. Want you.”

 

Trying to maneuver us to my bedroom was no small feat with my arms full of my wild little man, but somehow, I managed. As soon as the door was closed behind us, I pushed him against it and kissed him with a fierceness I didn’t know I had. I wanted to drown in him, to see what sounds I could coax from his beautiful mouth in pleasure.

 

Nasir pushed his hand between us and rubbed both of our still clothed cocks. Unashamed of the way he made me feel, I moaned into his mouth.

 

“These. Off,” he whined.

 

Turning, I walked over to the bed and dumped him unceremoniously onto his back. He laughed breathlessly as I fumbled with getting out of the rest of my clothes. I sighed when my cock was finally free of the cloth restraining it, and I gripped it loosely for a moment, pulling leisurely.

 

“Fuck, you look good doing that,” Nasir said, voice low and sexy. He struggled to pull his jeans and boxers over his ass, so I grinned and batted his hands away.

 

“Let me,” I said with a smirk. In one swift movement, I had Nasir’s jeans, boxers, and socks off and in a pile at my feet. Finally, he was bare. I trailed my eyes over every inch of his delicious looking golden skin, taking my time to fully see every hill and valley of gorgeous flesh.

 

“Fuck, you’re beautiful,” I whispered in appreciation.

 

He raised his hand, inviting me closer. I stretched out above him, propped on one knee and my elbows. Burying my hands in his thick silken hair, I attacked his neck once again.

 

Arching up against me, Nasir dug his fingers into my back.

 

“Shit! Yes!” he cried.

 

Moving downward, I left a trail of kisses along Nasir’s heaving chest, pausing to lick across a pebbled nipple. When I reached his navel, I dipped my tongue inside briefly, then moved to rummage in the bedside table drawer.

 

Need and want ran rampant throughout my whole body. As much as I wanted to take my time and devour every inch of his body, the urge to be inside him was too great.

 

When Nasir saw what I had in my hand, he grinned and pulled me in for a breathtaking kiss.

 

“Finally,” he murmured against my lips. “I can’t wait any longer.”

 

I moved to Nasir’s side, flipped open the lube, and got my fingers nice and slick. Before I had the chance to say anything, Nasir bent his knees and let them fall open.

 

“Damn you’re sexy, open for me like that,” I told him.

 

Brushing my slick fingers over my man’s straining cock, I reached down where we both so desperately wanted me to be. Nasir gasped as I brushed over his hole a few times, then he kissed along my shoulder.

 

“Now, please.”

 

Carefully, I worked a finger inside him, and holy shit, he was tight. Nasir groaned against my skin, prompting me to go a bit faster. Now that I knew what his ass felt like, I was aching.

 

Frantic kisses and touches had my senses on fire while I continued to get Nasir ready for me. He made the most wonderful noises in between mumbling words of what he wanted me to do to him. I would give him all, gladly.

 

In no time, Nasir gripped the back of my hair, riding my fingers hard. Oh yeah, he was ready.

 

Hurriedly, I pulled my hand away, opened the rubber, and rolled it on. Grabbing the lube, I poured a little more into my hand and stroked myself a couple of times. Nasir watched through half lidded eyes, a smile on his swollen lips. Leaning down, I kissed him and moved between his thighs. He immediately lifted his knees to grip my sides.

 

“Ready?” I asked with a grin.

 

“Shut up and fuck me,” Nasir said, returning my smile.

 

Lining myself up, I kissed Nasir thoroughly and moved forward. Holy fuck, he felt like heaven. Tight and warm, his ass gripped my cock like it was made for me and me alone. I wanted so much to bury myself to the hilt right away, but I knew if I did, I’d come immediately. He felt that good. I restrained myself, barely. The effort caused me to shake with anticipation.

 

My lover gripped my shoulders hard, as inch by inch, I filled him. His gasps and moans echoed in my head. I could listen to them forever and never get tired of it.

 

“My God, you feel incredible, Nasir,” I breathed. “Fucking perfect.”

 

Seeing the strain on my face from holding myself still, he raised a hand to cup my face. “Relax,” he whispered. “You can move.”

 

From the first thrust into Nasir’s willing body, I was lost. He felt so good, so right, I wanted to be inside him forever. I knew neither of us was going to last long as worked up as we were, but I committed every move, every feeling, every noise we made to memory as I filled him again and again.

 

Nasir was so responsive and I fucking loved it. Moans and cries fell from his parted lips every time I moved. His face was flushed with pleasure, eyes appearing black when they met mine. His hands were all over my body all at once, it seemed, as our passion mounted.

 

I tingled all over and picked up the pace, balls tight as my release neared.

 

“So close…” Nasir panted against my neck. “Harder.”

 

Fuck. Me. I redoubled my efforts, pounding into my lover with all my strength. He cried out, writhing against me, his nails biting into my back.

 

“Can’t hold on…Nasir...oh God…”

 

“Agron! Yes!” my man yelled. His body shook as he clung to me. Warm wetness shot between us, and that was my undoing.

 

Shaking and gasping, I buried my face in Nasir’s neck as my orgasm overtook me. It felt like I came for hours, it was so intense. My man wiggled his hips under mine, whimpering through the aftershocks still coursing through him.

 

“Holy shit,” I breathed into Nasir’s sweaty neck. The tie came out of his hair at some point; the damp strands stuck to his still flushed skin.

 

“I needed that, so much,” he chuckled against my shoulder.

 

Lifting my head, I gave him a passion filled kiss on his smiling mouth, hoping to convey without words how much I had needed him, too.

 

Gripping the condom at the base of my dick, I slowly pulled out of Nasir’s warm body. I got up and went into the bathroom, where I disposed of the rubber and wet a warm washcloth to clean my man up with. When I returned, Nasir was on his side with the sheet pulled up over his waist, blinking sleepily at me. He was so beautiful with his hair hanging over one shoulder and a serene smile on his lips. I’d never seen him so content. Pride filled my chest at the fact I was the one to cause him to look the way he did in that moment.

 

Walking over, I climbed over him and sat in the middle of the bed. He rolled onto his back and reached out to stroke my thigh with his fingertips. Smiling, I cleaned him up, then threw the cloth in the direction of the hamper. He raised the sheet, inviting me in, and I accepted.

 

I laid on my back with Nasir cuddled against my chest, his hair tickling my neck. Silence reigned for a few moments as we continued to enjoy our post-coital state.

 

The heady combination of sweat, sex, and Nasir still lingered around us. I was content to fall asleep like that, just breathing him in. Nasir felt right against me, like he should have been there a long time ago. It was a comfort I could very easily get used to, having been alone so long in my bed.

 

“Nasir, will you stay with me tonight?” I asked softly. “I hate the thought of you going back out to the bunkhouse, especially after what we just shared.”

 

He lifted his head to gaze at me with half-lidded sleepy eyes. The most beautiful smile I had ever seen graced his lips.

 

“You mean that?”

 

“I do,” I answered earnestly. “I want to hold you while we sleep and wake up to your warm body pressed against mine.” I paused, then chuckled. “Fucking hell, that was sappy, but it’s the truth.”

 

I knew I was falling fast for Nasir. He evoked feelings in me I never knew were possible. All of the past boyfriends I had over the last few years never made me feel the way Nasir did.

 

“That wasn’t sappy,” Nasir replied. “It was sweet.” He leaned up, kissed me, then once again rested his head on my chest. “I’ll stay.”

 

“Good.”

 

Holding my man closer, I smiled to myself. It turned out to be a wonderful night.

 

Nasir’s breathing evened out in sleep. I closed my eyes, and with thoughts of the man resting in my arms, began to fall asleep.

 

Before I was completely out, a loud explosion rent the air. It was followed by the sound of horses neighing and stamping.

 

Sitting bolt upright, I clambered off the bed and ran to the window. My eyes went wide at the sight before me. I was frozen, unable to do anything but stare.

 

“Huh? What?” Nasir asked from behind me.

 

Loud banging on the back door spurred me to action. I ran to the end of the bed, gathered clothes, and threw Nasir’s to him.

  
“Come on!” I said urgently while pulling my pants up. “Barn’s on fire!”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! I just wanted to let you guys kow how much I adore your comments, kudos, bookmarks, and subscriptions. Without you readers, I would be out of business! Much gratitude!!! *hug*
> 
> Thank you to DelphiusFanfic, for prereading. She has been ill, and I wish her a very speedy recovery :) Thanks also go to Harrytwifan, for being the best beta a girl could ask for. *mwah*
> 
> Hope you enjoy!!

**NPOV**

 

My heart was thundering in my ears as I ran toward the barn. Agron, ahead of me by quite a few feet, joined his brother at the barn doors. They talked for a moment then rushed inside, followed by Crixus and Barca. Spartacus was on his phone, with 911.

 

“What happened?” I called to Varro, who was just inside the doors, throwing out any equipment within reach.

 

Smoke and ash filled my nose and eyes as I moved to help Varro. I could hear Agron and Duro ushering the animals out the back doors into the pasture, helped by Crixus and Barca. Heat pressed against my back like a heavy weight, urging me to run. I stood my ground, taking everything Varro shoved into my hands and flinging it as hard as I could out the front door.

 

The sound of the flames roared in my ears as my eyes watered, and I coughed. What the fuck was Agron thinking, running full steam into the smoke and flames? I understood he was trying to save the animals, but his life was far more important. I hoped and prayed the rest of the guys followed the horses out into the pasture and were safe.

 

Still helping Varro, I was blinded and deafened by the sirens and lights of the fire truck. Thank fuck. Hopefully, they could save part of the structure so we would have less to rebuild. I hadn’t noticed the others yelling for me and Varro to get out, until Varro pulled me by the arm back out into the yard. He didn’t let go of me until we were behind all the firefighters at the fence.

 

Agron rushed from somewhere and crushed me against him. Coughing against his chest, I squeezed my still streaming eyes closed. My head was pounding from all the noise and adrenaline. He was coughing more than I was, but he held me tight.

 

“Let me have a look at you two,” an unfamiliar voice said from nearby. Agron, refusing to let me go, followed the medic to the back of an ambulance. I didn’t even know one had arrived.

 

The medic sat us on the edge of the back of the ambulance, then fitted an oxygen mask over our mouths and noses. I breathed deeply, trying not to cough as I inhaled the sweet fresh air. I could hear Agron doing the same.

 

Looking over, I saw Varro  beside us, also wearing a mask. My eyes then found my lover. Fuck. There was ash all in his hair, and his face was darkened by smoke. One of the medics moved to wipe his face and eyes with a wet cloth. My heart clenched, and tears having nothing to do with the smoke welled in my eyes. A different medic wiped my face as well.

  


My arms ached and shook from the effort of helping Varro. Made me wonder just how much shit we were able to save from the fire. God, I was so tired.

 

“They alright?” I heard Spartacus ask from somewhere behind the medics.

 

Glancing away from my man’s face, I saw all the other guys crowded around.

 

“They’re going to be fine,” one of the EMTs said. “Inhaled a little smoke, is all.”

 

I leaned my pounding head against the side of the ambulance and closed my eyes, listening to all the activity around me. However, my mind wouldn’t let me rest. I wondered how in the hell a fire could have started in the barn when there was no one and nothing out there to start one with. Everyone from the town that came to the dance was gone, and the rest of us were inside.

 

Fear tightened my gut. I remembered the noise just before Agron told me the barn was on fire. In my past experiences with the Wildcats, I had heard that noise often, and knew exactly what it was. Iy hadn’t occurred to me at the time what it was, due to my blissed out state. My insides twisted even more, and I knew I was going to be sick. Pulling the mask off my face, I got up and pushed the medic out of the way.

 

“What-”

 

“Gonna be sick,” I managed to rasp, and stumbled around to the side of the ambulance.

 

My mind raced as I fell to my knees and retched. How the fuck did they know where I was? Why the hell would they do something so drastic instead of trying to talk to me? And why fucking now, when I was getting my life together and finally daring to be happy?

 

I couldn’t tell Agron. He would freak the fuck out. No, I had to deal with those assholes on my own; to save my relationship, my life, and possibly all the lives on the ranch.

 

Sitting back on my heels, I closed my eyes and willed myself to calm down. A gentle hand rested on my shoulder, and I covered it with my own.

 

“You okay?” Agron asked quietly.

 

“Yeah,” I lied. “Must have been the smoke.”

 

He helped me stand, and I leaned into him as we walked back around the ambulance. One of the medics wanted to put the mask back on me, but I shook my head.

 

“I’m fine now.”

 

He nodded, and I let Agron lead us back to where all the other guys were sitting in a row on the fence, talking quietly. We sat next to Duro and Spartacus. I felt so bad for Duro. He watched the firemen work with wide, unblinking eyes. Spartacus tried to soothe him the best he could by rubbing the back of Duro’s neck, but the man seemed oblivious to the touch. Shame and grief filled my chest at the sight. The fire was all my fault.

 

Agron pulled me close with an arm around my shoulder. I rested my head against his chest, unable to look at him in fear that he would see the truth in my eyes. He smelled of smoke, which threatened another bout of nausea.

 

I barely managed to force it away as I closed my eyes against what we were witnessing. I was so fucking stupid to believe I would be able to have a normal life outside of the gang. Everything I held close to my heart would be ripped away from me as soon as Agron, Duro, and the rest of the hands found out the truth. Honestly, I didn’t know if I could handle it.

 

Time seemed to drag by as the firemen continued their work. They began to show signs of stopping when the sky began to lighten, threatening dawn. There was nothing for us to do but wait. Agron continued to hold me, as Spartacus did Duro, trying to comfort each other in the only way we knew how.

 

One of the fire fighters, the Captain, I assumed, walked over to us.

 

“Fire’s out,” he told Agron and Duro. “The guys are checking the rest of the building for hot spots and to see if they can find what started it. We’ll let you know soon.”

 

A worker jogged up to his superior, holding something in his gloved hand.

 

“Found it, Cap,” he said, holding the object out for inspection. It was part of a glass bottle, black with soot, and a piece of fabric still visible in the neck.

 

“What the hell?” the man said, taking the glass and looking it over. “Looks like it used to be a Molotov cocktail.”

 

Agron’s body stiffened next to me.

 

“What?” Duro spoke up, getting to his feet. “You mean to say someone burned the barn on purpose?”

 

“That’s what it looks like.”

 

With that evidence found, there was no way Agron wouldn’t know who had done it. I was fucked.

 

“I think we should get the police involved,” Duro stated matter-of-factly. “Everyone knows us in this town; we have no enemies.”

 

“I’ll get on the horn,” the Captain said, and returned to the fire truck. Duro rounded on Agron.

 

“What the fuck is going on here, brother?” he demanded. “Everything around here has been fine until now!”

 

Agron got to his feet.

 

“Everything will still be fine, Duro. The cops will find out who did this, and they will be brought to justice.”

 

If only he knew how difficult that would be.

 

Having heard Duro shout, the rest of the hands gathered around them. I stayed where I was, wishing I could disappear.

 

“I’m sorry, Agron,” Duro said, “but I blame this on Nasir. Everything was fine until he showed up and disrupted everything.”

 

Oh, God.

 

Agron poked his finger into his brother’s chest.

 

“You better back the fuck up, Duro! Nasir is a fine addition to this ranch, and you have no right laying blame where it isn’t deserved!” he shouted, hands on his hips, face inches from his brother’s.

 

“Oh, it’s deserved,” Duro spat. “Spartacus has told me what Nasir says out loud in his nightmares.” His voice took on a mocking tone. “ _‘I’m sorry I killed your brother! Please don’t cry! I’m sorry! I’m a monster thanks to the fucking Wildcats!’_ ”

 

All eyes shifted toward me. Panic prickled up my spine, and my heart hammered in my chest. Fuck! What was I supposed to do?

 

“Who are the Wildcats?” Crixus asked, brow furrowed.

 

Heaving a huge sigh, I stood up. As much as I wanted to keep my past to myself, I had to tell everyone.

 

“The Wildcats are a gang I used to be in,” I began. Everyone looked at me so intently, I felt like I was in front of a judge and jury. As I continued, giving all the details of my position, eyes widened and murmured curses were heard by everyone except Agron. He stood, arms crossed across his chest, expression solemn. I felt terrible.

 

I ended my tale with what happened with the little girl, and why I was in prison. By the time I was finished, the sun was up, my throat was parched, and I was so exhausted I could barely stand.

 

Unable to cope with the silence that followed, I turned and walked to the bunkhouse. First thing I did was took a hot shower. I felt miserable on the inside, but at least the outside was clean. When I was dried and dressed, I took my duffle bag out of the closet and started shoving my clothes and few belongings in it. There was no doubt I had to go. Even if Agron wanted me to stay, I couldn’t. He, along with the entire ranch, was in danger.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Startled, I turned around. Agron stood in the doorway; dirty, huge, serious, and fucking beautiful. The sight of him caused my heart to clench painfully, and I turned back to my task.

 

“What does it look like? We both know I can’t stay.”

 

“I didn’t fire you, Nasir,” Agron said quietly.

 

“Doesn’t matter. Duro hates me now, and I’ve put everyone in danger. If I go, you’ll be safe.’” I hefted my bag over my shoulder and headed for the door. “Goodbye, Agron. Thank you for everything.” I managed a small, sad smile, before I turned away and left the bedroom and bunkhouse.

 

“Nasir, wait!” Agron called. “Come back!”

 

I kept my head lowered and eyes on my feet as I walked through the yard. My hair, unbound and wet, shielded my face nicely. I noticed a cop car parked in the yard. They were probably investigating the fire.

 

With every step I took away from the ranch, my heart ached. I should have known better than to expect to have any sort of meaningful life outside the gang or prison. I’d seen it before, when I was new, and it didn’t end well. The explosion caused fire to spread fast and made it harder to extinguish, giving anyone inside minimal, if any, time to escape.

 

The only good thing to come out of everything leading up to this moment was Agron. He was such a pure soul, chasing after the American dream like everyone else. I tainted that for him by daring to try to do well by working on his ranch. My stupid head and heart damaged everything he worked for by falling in love.

 

I didn’t want to cry, but tears stung my eyes and rolled hot down my cheeks anyway. Fuck, I was so tired. No sleep, the fire, then the telling of my painful past, exhausted me, mentally and physically. But I made myself put one foot in front of the other, even though I had no idea where I was headed.

 

Agron had to be disappointed in me, and angry. That was the main reason for my tears. I had something good, worth working for, and in a few short hours, it was gone. I was alone in this world. Again. If the Wildcats caught me, which I had no doubt they inevitably would, they would kill me. Maybe I deserved it, for all the people I killed under their orders. I damn sure didn’t deserve Agron. He was such a better man than I.

 

For the time being, where would I go? It wasn’t like I had options. Wildcats, prison, then Brandt Ranch was all I had known over recent years. With my grandmother gone, my childhood home was out of the question.

 

A shelter? Fuck, no. Gangs tended to lurk around those, always looking for potential new recruits. If I tried that, no doubt I’d be spotted.

 

I hitched my bag higher on my shoulder and squinted against the harsh sunlight. In the midst of all the uncertainty in my head, I knew one thing for certain. If I didn’t find a safe place to rest soon, I’d fall out right on the side of the road.

  
Even though I knew I deserved what was coming, I wanted one more night to dream of my Agron. I was determined to find a place for the night, so I trudged on.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all. Apologies for the late chapter.
> 
> Thanks go to my prereader/beta team, DelphiusFanfic and Harrytwifan. They are awesome.
> 
> I do not own Spartacus.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this one!

**APOV**

 

The hardest thing I’d ever done was watch Nasir walk out that door with all of his belongings. The sight of that last slight smile made my throat ache with unshed tears. He thought he wasn’t worth it. God, everything leading up to the fire had been so fucking good. From first meeting to the previous night’s lovemaking, Nasir had me entranced, and made me feel like no other.

 

I fell in love with the man and he walked out!

 

Sitting heavily on the end of the bed, I put my face in my hands and let the tears come. They were slow at first, then faster and harder as the events of the past twenty-four hours crashed over me. I cried for the barn I lost, the argument with my brother, the way Nasir looked when he came from the barn. I was so scared at seeing the barn in flames. All I could think of was everything my parents had built was going to end up as nothing but a pile of ashes, possibly taking the men who were my family with it.

 

I also cried for the situation Nasir was in. It shocked the hell out of me when he said he was the hitman for those people. A fucking hitman? Killing without thought for that fucking gang to keep himself alive? The man was so kind and gentle, it astounded me.

 

Then the story of that little girl. He must have felt seriously remorseful if he was still having nightmares about her. Getting himself arrested was the best thing he could have done at the time. He tried to get away from those awful people and it had worked, for a while. If only he had told me more about it, maybe I could’ve helped.

 

I may have been only a corn-fed cowboy, but I knew how gangs worked. Once you’re in, you’re in, and if you try to get away, they kill you, because you know too much. I couldn’t let that happen to Nasir, no matter how much bad shit he’d done. He was too good a person to be slaughtered for no reason.

 

Finally, I wiped my eyes, took a deep breath, and stood. I had to get back out there with everyone else, and I didn’t want them to go looking for me and find me in the state I was currently in.

 

As I left the bunkhouse and joined the rest of the hands and my brother, they gave me curious looks but said nothing. They’d better not, if they knew what was good for them. I was not in the mood for bullshit.

 

“What’s going on?” I asked Duro, blinking in the harsh light. My eyes felt like they had sand in them, and no doubt were puffy.

 

“Waiting on the cops,” he said quietly. “They’re checking out the scene.”

 

I turned to the rest of the guys, who were standing around, faces solemn and covered in soot as they leaned on each other for support.

 

“Go, get showers and some sleep.I thank you for all you’ve done. You risked your lives in there, and I won’t forget it. If and when I find out anything, I’ll let you know.”

 

Reluctantly, they headed for the bunkhouse, ambling along like tired old men, which I was sure they felt like. I know I did.

 

Duro and I stood side by side against the fence, silent. At that moment, I had nothing to say to him. True, Nasir should have told me about his past earlier, but it wasn’t Duro’s place to do so. I would have found out. Yes, I was upset about losing the barn, but that was only wood and nails and could easily be rebuilt. Nasir was a person, who meant something to me.

 

Duro didn’t understand what the consequences of running his mouth would be. He had Spartacus, who didn’t have the kind of past Nasir did. They could do whatever they wanted anytime. I had finally gotten a taste of happiness with someone, and it had been ripped away, taking my heart with it.

 

As if reading my mind, Duro said, “You needed to know, brother.”

 

He said it quietly and calmly, which only served to light a fire in my blood. I turned to face him. “You had no business blurting out that personal information, Duro,” I said. “Nasir would have told me.”

 

“When?” he countered. “When we started waking up to find dead animals in the barn and getting bricks thrown through windows?”

 

“Those are _replaceable_ things, Duro. A person’s life is not. We could have kept Nasir safe.”

 

“How?” he said, his voice rising in anger. “By taking shifts standing at the door with shotguns like in the old westerns Dad used to watch? Get a fucking grip, Agron!”

 

“Keep your voice down!” I hissed about three inches from his face. “You’re the one who needs to get a fucking grip! You don’t give a shit that Nasir is out there alone somewhere, and that he could be found any minute by those assholes!”

 

He stared at me thoughtfully.

 

“That’s all you care about, isn’t it, Agron? You don’t give a shit if the ranch, our legacy, goes under because of the stupid shit that murdering asshole has done.”

 

In an instant, I pulled back and punched Duro in the mouth. He fell on his ass with one hand covering his face.

 

“How would you feel if it were Spartacus instead of Nasir? I know if it were, I sure as fuck wouldn’t tell you what you just told me! Wise up, Duro!”

 

A look of realization passed over my brother’s face for a moment, then his brow furrowed and his mouth turned down at the corners.

 

“That’s what I thought,” I said.

 

Our exchange was interrupted by an approaching police officer.

 

“Excuse me,” he said, and cleared his throat. Duro, wiping blood off of his lower lip, stood.

 

“Yes, sir?” I asked.

 

“It was indeed a Molotov cocktail that started the fire. Is there anyone who might have a problem with any of you? Old clients? Vengeful ex-girlfriends, anything like that?”

 

Duro shot me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, brother, but I have to tell him.” Inside, I was pissed, yet sad. I knew, eventually, the truth would have to come out, but what would that mean for Nasir? He would have to go back to prison once the police found out he had been the Wildcats’ hitman.

 

“Tell me what?” the officer asked. He pushed his hat back, and pulled a small notebook from the breast pocket of his shirt.

 

“We recently hired a new hand. He was one of the men who was on the work detail. Nasir Parata. We just found out this morning the reason he was in prison in the first place was for gang activity,” Duro said.

 

“Where is Mr. Parata now?” the officer asked.

 

“He left,” I said sadly.

 

“Left? Where?” The policeman’s eyebrows lifted in surprise.

 

“I don’t know. He just started walking.”

 

“I’m going to send a couple of deputies out to find him and bring him back here, so we can question him.”

 

Fuck.

 

“I’m going to take a shower,” I said, and walked in the direction of the house. I didn’t give Duro or the policeman a chance to say anything more. My body and mind were exhausted, and I wanted to be alone with my thoughts for a while, before Nasir showed back up.

 

It was hard for my mind to settle on any one thing while I scrubbed the soot and grime from my body and hair. I felt like I moved in slow motion, detached from myself. It was strange that one moment I was blissfully happy, then the next moment was a nightmare.  How quickly tables could turn.

 

When I was finished, dried, and dressed in clean boxers, I took the nasty clothes I had been wearing and threw them in the kitchen trash. I couldn’t stand looking at them anymore, and wished I could forget the whole thing ever happened.

 

Back in my bedroom, I stared at the bed for a moment. The sheets and blankets were rumpled and twisted. The sight of them brought back the memory of the last time I was there.

 

Finally making love with Nasir had been so fucking right. In those moments, I felt like I had found my place in the word, like things were falling into place as they should be. Thinking of my amazing night with Nasir and the events that followed made an incredible sadness steal over my mind. I was mourning something that had barely started.

 

Without bothering to straighten the covers, I laid down and buried my head in the pillow Nasir had used. It still smelled faintly of him, and though it was torturous, I couldn’t help myself. My eyes closed and my body relaxed immediately.

 

_Flames, smoke, and ash filled my head. Through the harsh orange light, I could see black hair flying out in front of me. It looked like the person was running headlong into the flames._

_“Nasir, wait!” I called, trying to run faster. Every time I would get close, he’d slip out of my grasp._

_There was a corner up ahead. When I turned it, I stopped in surprise. The fire was gone. I was standing at the edge of a dark room. On the opposite wall was a window, where the full moon shone in. The only furniture was a large bed in the middle of the room, illuminated by the bright moonlight. Two people occupied the bed, under the sheet, moving together as one in the intimate dance of making love._

_I stood, transfixed at the sight. The sheet slipped down, and my heart leapt in my chest. It was two men on the bed….Nasir and I. Again, my heart lurched. Tears slid down my cheeks as the image faded, leaving me in complete darkness._

Something was shaking me hard, interrupting my sleep.

 

“Go ‘way,” I mumbled, trying to turn over.

 

“Agron, wake up!” the voice of my brother insisted close to my ear.

 

Turning over, I cracked open one eye. “What?”

 

“You gonna sleep forever? Come and get some food,” Duro said.

 

I looked toward the window, surprised to see it was dark already.

 

“Shit. I’ll be right out.”

 

Duro left my room, and I hauled my ass out of bed. I felt like shit, my body heavy and drained of energy. Rubbing my eyes and yawning, I pulled some sweatpants out of my dresser and yanked them on. I didn’t bother with a shirt, and headed to the kitchen in my bare feet.

 

Everyone was at the table, and they looked about as good as I felt. I sat down in my usual place, keenly aware of the empty place beside me. A bowl of steaming tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich sat on the table in front of me. Even more sadness coursed through me. Duro was trying to apologize for our earlier argument.

 

When we were younger, if we’d had a bad day or didn’t feel well, Mom made us tomato soup and grilled cheese. She always told us it would help us feel better, and it usually worked. I was surprised Duro thought of it, and the action touched me greatly.

 

I looked up from my dinner to Duro. He was staring at me with a hint of a smile.

 

“Forgiven,” I said, my voice coming out loud in the quiet room.

 

Duro surprised me again by standing and holding out his arms. Willingly, I got up and stepped into his embrace, and he hugged me tightly.

 

“I love you, brother,” he whispered into my ear, then pulled back enough to press his forehead against mine. “We’ll get through this, you’ll see.”

 

I nodded, even though I had my doubts. At the moment, it seemed all hope was lost. We stayed as we were but a moment more, then took our seats. The other guys were quietly eating, not saying anything, but I could feel the unasked question in the air.

 

It was Barca who voiced it.

 

“What do we do now, boss?”

 

“Well, did the cops say they were all finished in the barn?” I asked.

 

“Yeah,” Duro answered.

 

“Then at first light tomorrow, we go out there, assess the damage, get the supplies, and start rebuilding. The animals have to have a warm place with winter coming.”

 

Barca nodded, and the room fell quiet once more. The atmosphere was much like after the tornado had come through, somber.

 

I ate slowly, not hungry and barely tasting anything. I was too tired still, too emotional, to really give a shit anyway. Honestly, I would’ve skipped the meal, but knew I needed my strength. It was one of the most uncomfortable meals of my life.

 

When we were finished, I sent the hands back out to the bunkhouse to get more rest. Duro got the hint, and stayed behind to help me with the clean up.

 

“Any word?” I asked quietly, as I piled the dishes in the soapy water.

 

“Not yet,” my brother replied while wiping down the counters. He stepped to my side and urged me to look at him. “They will find him, then he will be back here, where he belongs.”

 

I lifted my brows in question.

 

“Why do you say that now, when earlier today you were having a fit about him being here?” I asked, focusing my attention back on my task of cleaning the dishes.

 

“Well,” Duro said, moving to rinse and dry the dishes, “I thought about what you said, you know, if it were Spartacus instead of Nasir. You were right. I would want your support, so I figured I could forgive his past, for both of your sakes. It would be wrong of me to fault a man for his past.”

 

Glancing up from the sink, I saw my brother looking at me with nothing but truth and sincerity in his eyes.

 

“Thank you, Duro. I can’t believe he walked away like he did.”

 

“I’m sure he was scared shitless,” he answered. “It was plain to see he felt bad for what happened, and I don’t blame him in the least for not wanting to go back to prison.”

 

“But what if the Wildcats find him before the cops can?” I was unable to conceal the desperation in my voice.

 

“We have to believe they won’t, Agron. Look on the bright side and all that.”

 

“Right now, I don’t see a bright side.” And I didn’t. My chest ached with loss, and I couldn’t see an end to it unless Nasir came back to me in one piece.

 

“You will, brother, you will.” Duro tried to reassure me.

 

We finished the dishes in silence. Duro hugged me one more time before leaving to go out to the bunkhouse to spend time with Spartacus. I turned off all the lights and headed back to my bedroom.

 

Laying on my bed, I stared at the ceiling. Exhausted as I was, my mind wouldn’t let me forget the dream I’d had. Hopefully, it wasn’t a sign of things to come. I wanted to believe so much that Duro was right when he told me the police would find Nasir before the Wildcats did. There was no way in hell I could handle even more loss. We’d come back from losing what we did when the tornado came through, and I knew we’d come back from the fire.

  
But if Nasir was taken from me forever? There was no way I could come back from that.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the late posting! Hope y'all ain't too upset with me!!
> 
> Thank you to DelphiusFanfic and Harrytwifan, for their excellent prereading and beta work! Love them!
> 
> I do not own Spartacus.

**NPOV**

 

The further I walked, the more I realized I should have worn a hat or hoodie to attempt to disguise myself. Those Wildcat bastards could be anywhere looking for me. It was too late, though, so I stared at the ground with my hair hiding my face the best it could.

 

I probably shouldn’t have taken off from the ranch like I did, but I just couldn’t stay. I refused to put Agron, Duro, and the rest of the men in danger. They did nothing to warrant their property being destroyed. The fault was mine alone, and I should have seen it coming.

 

It was so fucking stupid of me to join the Wildcats in the first place, but I was at a loss at what to do with myself after my grandmother passed. Crassus, the leader and boss, made being with them seem like a dream come true - a family to fill the void of my own. At that time in my life, it was exactly what I needed, and he preyed on it.

 

As time went on, Crassus stopped giving me menial tasks and moved on to bigger ones. Theft, usually of cars, was the main thing. When I returned successful with the vehicle, Crassus gave me money and my choice of his whores, the latter in which I held no interest.

 

Once I realized I was good at what I was doing, I was eager to please the boss. Gaining his recognition and praise was my only objective. I threw my whole being into every job I did, sometimes gaining extra by pickpocketing on the street as I went after my assigned vehicle.

 

I had no idea at the time that my eagerness to please would end up as my downfall. Crassus was overly pleased at my work, so he promoted me to be the gang’s hitman. At first, I relished the position and responsibility. Knowing Crassus would be pleased drove me to do the best work I could for him, even though it seemed as if a tiny fragment of myself died with the people I had to take out. I kept telling myself I was only doing it to keep my brothers in the gang safe.

 

The hit assignments came slow at first, one every couple of weeks. Of course, I had no idea of the business Crassus was dealing in to make the need necessary. It didn’t matter to me at that time. As the hits started coming more frequently, I began to wonder if I was killing people who owed the boss money or if he had bloodlust for power - take out the competition.

 

By the time I made the hit that would end up haunting me for years after, I was one of Crassus’ main men. Other members of the gang looked up to me almost as much as they did the boss.

 

After the last hit when I was met by the little crying girl, I wasn’t the same anymore, and that’s why I got myself arrested. There was no way in hell I could do it anymore, and if I didn’t get away before I got another assignment, I would be killed for disobeying the boss.

 

And now? It seemed I had fucked myself over. Brandt Ranch, and all the people within it, were in danger, because of me. I had no choice but to walk away from the one man I could see myself growing old with. It was true - I had fallen in love with Agron, the gentle giant. How could I not? He was kind and generous, funny and sexy. He truly cared for the men he employed, and for his brother. I never saw a family as close as his. I was so happy there, like I belonged.

 

Finally, I was entering the town. My eyes burned with exhaustion, and my body felt like it weighed two tons. The first thing I needed to do was find somewhere to crash. I would go to a motel, but if Crassus was looking for me, that would be the first place he looked. The homeless shelter was out too, for the same reason. No, I had to hide, but didn’t have a clue where.

 

The only place I could think of was the police station. That would be the only place I could be safe. What the fuck was I thinking? That wouldn’t work, either. They would send me to a shelter.

 

As I passed an old pay phone in the parking lot of a convenience store, an idea came to me. Oenomaus, the guard who watched over me while I was on work detail, might help. We never had any arguments, and he knew I was in the slammer for gang related theft. Surely, he would understand.

 

I sighed in relief when I reached the phone and saw that the small phone book was still attached. Holding it in my hands, I tried to remember what the hell Oenomaus’ last name was. Carter! That was it! I remembered one of the other inmates calling him that once.

 

Quickly, I turned to the right page in the book. I used my finger to trail down the page, reading the names as I went. Hope and fear bloomed in my chest. If I did find the right number, it could possibly ensure my safety. If not, I would be forced to take shelter on the streets somewhere. It would be a miracle if I lasted through the night.

 

I dug some loose change out of my jeans pocket and pushed it into the slot. Using my finger to mark the number on the page, I punched it in with the other hand. My heart beat wildly as I waited for an answer.

 

“Hello?” the deep familiar voice came over the line.

 

“Officer Carter? This is Nasir Parata,” I said. “You were my guard when I was on work detail.”

 

“Nasir.” He sounded surprised. “I must admit I wasn’t expecting to hear from you. How are you faring?”

 

“Not well...er...Sir,” I stammered. “I need help.”

 

Oenomaus paused, and I prayed to the heavens he wouldn’t hang up on me.

 

“What’s the trouble?” he finally asked.

 

“You remember why I was arrested in the first place?”

 

“I do,” he answered. “Your case was interesting. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have. Theft to get arrested in order to get out of a gang. Very inventive.”

 

I was taken aback. “How do you know that?”

 

“I read your file,” Oenomaus chuckled.

 

“They’re after me, Sir,” I blurted. “Please, can you help me?”

 

Another pause from him. The man was determined to give me a heart attack.

 

“Where are you, Nasir? I assumed you would go back to the ranch after your release, given how taken you and Mr. Brandt were with each other.”

 

“I did, but I had to leave. Right now, I am at the corner of 5th and Maple.”

 

“Stay there,” he told me firmly. “I will pick you up.”

 

Relief crashed over me so fiercely, my eyes prickled with unshed tears.

 

“Thank you! I’ll be here.”

 

The line went dead. All I had to do was keep out of sight until Oenomaus showed up.

 

He arrived in his police cruiser just under ten minutes later. I was hiding beside one of the dumpsters around the back of the store. When he spotted me, he brought the car to a stop, got out, and opened the back door.

 

I tried to be nonchalant as I walked over and slid in to the seat. My heart thudded and sweat formed on my forehead as I glanced everywhere, looking for any sign of the Wildcats.

 

Oenomaus and I didn’t speak as he drove me back to his house. I used the time to rest my weary body. So much adrenaline and exhaustion had coursed through me over the past twenty-four hours, I was ready to drop.

 

When we arrived at his place, he hurried me inside before closing and locking the door behind us. I barely registered what the inside of his house looked like as he led me to the living room sofa. I took a seat in the middle and nervously folded my hands in my lap. He sat in the chair opposite me.

 

“Tell me everything,” he said quietly.

 

For over an hour, I spoke to him about everything that had happened since I got out of jail. Becoming boyfriends with Agron, the Halloween dance, and finally, the barn fire. I told him it was a Molotov cocktail that started the blaze, and it had to be the Wildcats who had done it.

 

Oenomaus wasn’t stupid. He was a police officer, for fuck’s sake, and knew the ways of gangs well. The one thing I knew I had going in my favor was I didn’t want anything to do with the Wildcats anymore. All I wanted was to live my life and be happy.

 

By the time I finished my story, the words were coming out in a fast ramble. I was becoming upset over the complete hopelessness of the entire situation. I closed my mouth abruptly, hoping to avoid any more embarrassment. Staring down at my hands, I waited on Oenomaus’ reply. He remained silent for what seemed like an eternity. The only sound in the room was the faint ticking of a clock somewhere. It was maddening. I flinched in surprise when he finally spoke.

 

“I must say, Nasir, I commend you for doing the right thing by trying to stay away from those people. We all make poor choices in life, but few choose to learn from them and try to better themselves. The Wildcats are no strangers to our police force. We’ve tried, on more than one occasion, to bring the boss down, effectively taking out the rest. Unfortunately, they manage to keep slipping from grasp.

 

I raised my head to see Oenomaus’ brow furrowed, yet his eyes held kindness and sympathy.

 

“I’ll do my best to help you,” he continued. “But for now, you look like you could sleep for a month. I’m going to make you a sandwich, then you’re going to get some rest. When you wake, we’ll discuss what to do next.”

 

“I don’t have enough words to express my gratitude, Sir,” I told him.

 

“You’re welcome,” the officer replied as he left the room.

 

Finally, I felt like I could breathe. Oenomaus had no idea how his support took the weight off of my shoulders. Leaning back, I allowed myself to relax into the soft cushions. Exhaustion washed over my body in an alarming wave. I didn’t realize how much tension I was holding on to until it began to leave my body.

 

My eyes got heavy. Blinking became difficult, as if weights were trying to hold my eyelids down. Somewhere between the conscious and unconscious world, images of flame and smoke flitted under my eyelids. The face of Crassus appeared in the flames, sneering and mocking. Abruptly, the face changed to Agron’s, mouth turned down at the corners and cheeks wet with tears. I wanted to reach out to him but I was paralyzed, unable to do anything but watch the scene unfold.

 

A sharp tapping on my leg brought me back to reality. Forcing my eyes open, I looked up at Oenomaus, who was holding out a plate and a can of soda.

 

“Thank you,” I said, taking them gratefully.

 

The officer smiled. “You’re welcome. Eat and rest. If you need the bathroom, it’s down that hallway,” he pointed to his right, “first door on the left.”

 

He quietly left the room again, and I stared at the food in my lap. I wasn’t sure I had the energy to eat, but I knew I had to try.

 

I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I took the first bite. After that, the sandwich was gone in less than five minutes.

 

Popping the top on the can of soda, I downed half right away, then set the can and plate on the coffee table in front of me.

 

Full and warm, I once again felt sleepiness threaten to overcome me. Kicking off my shoes, I stretched out on the couch and closed my eyes. Then there was only blessed sleep.

 

**~O~**

 

Struggling, I cracked one eye open. It was still daylight, I noticed, the sun coming through the sheer curtains unusually bright.

 

Opening the other eye, I glanced around the room. Oenomaus was sitting in the chair, reading a magazine. He was wearing his uniform.

 

“Good morning, Nasir,” he smiled.

 

Groaning, I sat up and ran a hand down my face. “Morning?”

 

“You slept straight through,” Oenomaus said.

 

“Fucking hell,” I mumbled and got to my feet, then ambled toward the bathroom.

 

After relieving myself and washing my hands, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were puffy from sleep, and I had a couple days’ scruff going on, but otherwise I looked alright. My hair was a tangled mess, so I raked my fingers through it the best I could.

 

Turning on the water again, I washed my face; it helped to wake me up some. When I finished drying off on the towel hanging on the nearby rack, I went back to talk to Oenomaus. There was a steaming cup of coffee on the table waiting for me. I resumed my place on the couch and picked up the cup, cradling it in my hands.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Oenomaus nodded kindly. “It seems I’m not the only one wanting to help you.”

 

Swallowing my sip of coffee, I frowned. “What do you mean?”

 

“I went to work today and found that almost half of the force have been looking for you. They want to take you back to the ranch and ask some questions,” he explained.

 

Fear tightened my gut. I stared at Oenomaus, speechless, trying to process what he’d said.

 

“Why?” I finally choked out.

 

“They want to keep you safe, Nasir. Don’t worry, you aren’t the one at fault. You’ve done your time, it’s the bastard Wildcats we’re after.”

 

I nodded dumbly. The fear currently twisting in my stomach was not because of the questioning. It was because I was going back to the ranch, to Agron.

 

What would he think of me?

 

There was no chance of him keeping me on his payroll, not after his barn burned because of me. I wasn’t ready to face him, or Duro and the other hands, for that matter. They would be pissed at me for the loss I caused them. Their work would have to wait until a new barn could be built, which would cost them money they could have been making instead.

 

It pained my heart to know I was going to be rejected by the only man I’d ever loved, and it was all because of the fucking Wildcats. I wished they would rot in Hell for what they’d done to me. My life was stained, never to be clean again, because of those men. I hated myself for ever becoming involved with them.

 

When I finished my coffee, I thanked Oenomaus for his generosity, and we headed out to the car. I didn’t say anything on the way to the ranch; my nerves were too jangled. Oenomaus must have known, because he didn’t press for conversation.

 

Police cars littered the driveway of Brandt Ranch. As Oenomaus parked alongside them, I caught a glimpse of Crixus and Varro carrying charred wood to the back of the truck, which already looked like it was nearly full. They were so involved in their work, they didn’t even notice us.

 

Anxiety gripped me as I got out of the car and followed Oenomaus to the front porch. Just as we reached the bottom of the steps, the front door opened and out came Duro, his eyebrows knitted together in concern.

 

He greeted us with a nod while opening the door to let us in. The familiar, clean smell of the house caused a pang of longing and remembrance to pass through my chest. The idea that it might be the last time I ever would smell it did not go unnoticed.

 

Duro led us into the kitchen, where four policemen sat drinking coffee and chatting. Agron, sitting in the chair closest to the doorway, was silent.

 

He looked like hell, but was as beautiful as ever. Even with his hair standing up in all directions and dark rings under his eyes, he took my breath away. With my heart racing at the mere sight of the man, I swallowed hard and spoke.

 

“Agron.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay. I hope y'all are still with me on this one.
> 
> Thanks to DelphiusFanfic, for prereading, and Harrytwifan, for betaing. Couldn't do it without them :)
> 
> I don't own Spartacus.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

**APOV**

 

At the sound of his voice, I jerked my head up and let my eyes wander over the man I loved. He seemed to be uninjured, which set my mind at ease. Fuck, how I’d missed him.

 

I stumbled as I left my chair and walked to him. He stared up into my eyes, his filled with apologies. My hand shook as I brushed his hair off his shoulder, then slowly wrapped my arms around him. Jesus, he felt good. In that moment, the missing piece of my heart was returned to me.

 

Nasir wrapped his arms around my waist, the dull thump of his duffel bag hitting the floor barely registering. I was too busy burying my nose in his hair, breathing him in. He had no idea how worried I was while he was away.

 

“Nasir…” I whispered. He squeezed me briefly, then met my eyes with his.

 

“When this is over, we’ll talk,” he said, and moved to sit at the table.

 

I took the chair beside him, angling my body towards his, and laid my hands over his so he’d stop fidgeting. Oenomaus excused himself to the other room.

 

The older officer wore a stern look, his collar buttoned all the way up to his throat, his jacket buttoned over that. He cleared his throat.

 

“Good morning, Mr. Parata,” he said. “I’m Officer Camp. You know why we’re all here, right?”

 

“I do,” Nasir answered.

 

“We want you to know that any answers you provide will only be shared with the investigators handling this case,” the policeman continued. “I’ll be doing the questioning. Do you object to that?”

 

“No, sir.”

 

“Good,” Camp said. “We’ll get started, then. Remember, you are not in trouble, Mr. Parata. We’re only seeking information that may help us decide if the Wildcats were responsible for the fire.”

 

Nasir nodded, staring at his hands. He sat rigid in his chair and looked ready to flee at the nearest opportunity. I wondered what was going on in his head. He had been through so much in his short life. It didn’t seem fair.

 

“What was your role in the gang?” Camp asked crisply.

 

“My job was to keep the headquarters clean and to make sure none of the other higher members had food, drinks, whatever they required. The boss paid me an allowance of two hundred dollars a week for good service.”

 

“Did you witness any illegal activities while within their group?”

 

“No, sir,” Nasir answered curtly.

 

“Then why do you believe they are responsible for Mr. Brandt’s fire?”

 

“I left them, and everyone knows you can’t just leave a gang. Somehow, they found out I was here and sent a warning.” He shifted in his chair uncomfortably.

 

The questioning continued, the policeman asking Nasir about frequent haunts of the Wildcats’ boss. Nasir answered them quickly and confidently, even though I could tell he was still nervous as hell. It was plain to see he was eager for the men to be finished. I was too, because sitting so close to Nasir without being able to talk to or touch him was fucking killing me.

 

When the officers asked Nasir about security measures within the gang, my irritability and impatience got the better of me. I stood, mumbled an apology, and told them I was going to check on the hands. As soon as I was outdoors, I sat on the back stoop and breathed deeply of the fresh air.

 

“I can see it’s not going good in there. Anything I can do to help?” Duro asked as he walked up with Varro. They were filthy, covered in soot and ash.

 

“Fucking hell,” I said, ignoring his question. “Look at you two. I’m sorry. I should be out there helping you, but I...I just…”

 

“Don’t worry about it, boss,” Varro said. “We’re only doing what needs to be done and what you pay us for.” He smiled widely, which eased my mind. I truly had the best hands a rancher could ask for.

 

“Thanks, man,” I said. “They’re grilling Nasir pretty good in there.”

 

“Is it bad?” Duro asked cautiously.

 

“Not too bad, but I wish they’d stop already. Nasir looks like he’s ready to jump out of his skin.”

 

“I’ll bet,” Varro commented. “Duro wanted to check on you, but I came over to tell you the rest of the guys and me had a  long talk while Nasir was gone.”

 

“Yeah?” My brows raised in both surprise and concern.

 

“None of us hold him responsible for his past, and we’d like for him to stay on after all this is over with, if that’s what you decide. I mean...wait...what I’m trying to say is…”

 

Duro laughed. “What the big dope here is trying to say is they all like Nasir and have no problem with you keeping him on or you being with him.”

 

I couldn’t help smiling. Their caring was unending, and it warmed my heart to be able to call them family.

 

“I knew what you meant, Varro. Thank you, and pass that along to the others, okay?”

 

“Sure thing.” He walked happily away to continue his duties.

 

“ _Are_ you doing alright?” Duro asked, his concerned eyes piercing mine.

 

The answer I wanted to give him was _Hell no_. Inside, I was in turmoil. My thoughts were racing a hundred miles an hour and my stomach was full of knots.

 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I answered. “I do want to ask you to do something for me.”

 

“What’s that?”

 

“Could you handle lunch today? I’d really like to talk to Nasir.”

 

Duro clapped me on the shoulder.

 

“Of course I will,” he said with a grin, then gestured to his clothes. “I’ll just go shower real quick.”

 

“Thank you, brother.”

 

He went into the house, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I was nervous about talking with Nasir. When he left, he was so sure he had screwed everything up. I wanted to convince him he hadn’t. No, I needed to convince him, because I couldn’t see my life without him.

 

I watched in silence as the rest of the hands headed to the bunkhouse to wash up for lunch. They worked so hard, and never said a word when I told them at breakfast I wouldn’t be going out to help until after Nasir’s questioning.

 

The truth was, when I found out Oenomaus had Nasir and would be bringing him over, I nearly cried with relief. The scenarios of what might have happened to him while he was away had me terrified. Knowing he was safe and alive soothed my soul in a way only seeing him and feeling him in my arms could top.

 

A soft touch on my shoulder brought me out of my thoughts. Turning, I saw Nasir looking down at me with a slight smile. I moved over on the stoop so he could join me.

 

“You doing okay?” I asked, searching his dark eyes with mine.

 

“Yeah,” he answered. “Ready for it to be over. How are you, Agron?”

 

My chest fluttered at the sound of my name falling from his lips. “I don’t really know,” I sighed.

 

Standing, I paced slowly in front of him.

 

“What do you mean?” he asked. Concern married his beautiful face.

 

I crossed my arms over my chest so I’d stop wringing my hands together. “Why did you leave like you did?”

 

“Look at what you have here, Agron,” Nasir replied, standing to face me. “You have family, a home, and a successful business. I was in a fucking gang and prison. We both know I don’t fit in here.”

 

“Bullshit,” I said, getting angry. “You’re a damn fine hand, and when you started working here, you became family.”

 

“No. I fucked things up enough. I’m not worthy to be a part of all this anymore.”

 

I threw up my hands, exasperated. “God damn, Nasir! Why are you standing there, berating yourself? Besides, I’m the one who should be upset! I had to watch the man I fell in love with walk out of my life right in front of me. That fire means shit compared to what you mean to me.”

 

He hung his head. “I’m sorry,” he whispered brokenly.

 

“Listen,” I said, raising his head with a finger under his chin so he’d look at me.

 

“Nasir,” Oenomaus called from the back door. “It’s time to continue.”

 

“Fuck,” I mumbled, reluctantly letting go of Nasir. “We’ll continue this once you’re done.”

 

Nasir nodded, flipped his hair over his shoulder, and headed back inside.

 

**~O~**

 

The police left at around four that afternoon, with strict instructions that Nasir was on house arrest until they called. They wanted to place patrol cars outside, watching the place, but neither Duro nor I would have it. Even with all the bullshit going on, we still had a ranch to run.

 

I sent Nasir to put his things in my room, and called all the guys in to talk while I prepared dinner. They sat at the table, still grimy from work, and waited for me to say something. I didn’t get a chance to.

 

“So, he’s not fired?” Crixus asked gruffly, leaning back in his chair.

 

“No,” I said. “Why would I fire him?”

 

“Look at what he’s done to the place!” Crixus stood and walked closer. “The fucking barn’s gone, which sets us back in both money and work! It’ll take us twice as long to get back to where we were!”

 

Where the fuck did that from? Last I knew, Crixus didn’t have a problem with Nasir. I glanced at Varro, truly surprised, who was glaring at Crixus.

 

“Varro? You said…”

 

“I know what I said, and this shit told us he was fine. What the hell is your problem, Crixus?” He pointed at the man, who was acting as if we were having a normal conversation.

 

“I did say that, then I took a look around the place.” Crixus opened his arms, indicating the ranch. “Agron, you can’t believe Nasir staying here won’t cause anymore trouble.”

 

“I most certainly believe that, Crixus. You know he is a damn good hand here, and the police are handling it. I don’t get what the problem is. When Barca got out of lockup, you were fine. Why is Nasir such a problem for you?”

 

Another emotion finally passed over Crixus’ face: defeat.

 

“I didn’t have a problem with Barca, because he wasn’t in there for gang shit. You want to know the truth? I’m afraid the people after Nasir are going to try to hurt us,” Crixus said. “This place is all I have, and you know that. If something were to happen, I don’t know what I would do.”

 

My heart softened at Crixus’ words. The guy gave up his tough exterior to reveal his true feelings, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t touched. Walking over, I laid my hand on his shoulder.

 

“Before you know it, all of this will be behind us,” I told him. “I appreciate you opening up to me about your true fear, but remember, we’ve been through worse.”

 

I searched his eyes, wordlessly reminding him of the loss we all shared not so long ago. He nodded.

 

“You’re right,” he said. “And I never said I didn’t like him.” He crossed his arms, and Duro laughed.

 

“Oh my God,” my brother said. “Are you pouting over there?”

 

Crixus held up a middle finger aimed at Duro, and the whole room burst into laughter.

 

“I miss something?” Nasir asked as he walked into the room.

 

“Not a thing,” I grinned and caught him by the arm. Leaning down, I kissed his lips, then let him go so I could fill a large pot with water at the sink. “Get out of here and go shower, you guys,” I addressed the others. “You stink.”

 

Laughing and pushing each other, the rest of the men filed out of the house. Duro and Nasir sat at the table, quietly chatting, while I cooked. It was a good feeling, a relief, to have the house feel like a home again. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until Nasir was back where he was supposed to be, even though he was only gone for one night.

 

Later, as we ate our spaghetti, the fact that Nasir had regressed back to his previous shy behavior in front of the others didn’t go unnoticed. We tried to engage him in conversation, but he only gave us quiet one or two word answers. I wished he didn’t feel so uncomfortable.

 

Leaning in close to his ear, I whispered, “Nothing has changed. We all want you here, and I hope you do realize we will be sharing my bed again.”

 

Nasir glanced at me with a small smile and seemed to relax a bit. It made me feel better to see him at least trying to be comfortable with everyone else. There was no mention of the earlier questioning at the dinner table, which I was glad of. If anyone had mentioned it, I would have given whoever did an earful. I thanked the gods the hands I had were good men and mindful of each other’s feelings.

 

After dinner, I asked if Duro and the others would mind cleaning while I talked with Nasir. My brother agreed with a smile and squeeze of my shoulder, and I beckoned Nasir to follow me upstairs. The others catcalled after us, laughing and throwing out innuendos. I ignored them and let them have their fun.

 

Once my bedroom door was closed and locked, I told Nasir I was going to take a quick shower. He nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. It was the fastest shower I ever had in my life.

 

I came out of the bathroom to find Nasir, stripped down to his t-shirt and boxers,  looking at his hands with his brow furrowed in concentration.

 

“Wow,” I said lightly. “You look like you’re deep in thought.” Smiling, I sat next to him. He looked up at me with big concerned eyes.

 

“Did you mean what you said earlier?” he asked quietly.

 

“And what would that be?” Unable to keep my hands to myself, I stroked his thigh with my fingertips.

 

“You told me I am the man you fell in love with.”

 

My heart skipped a beat. _Did I say that? I didn’t remember._

 

“When?” I asked, confused.

 

“Outside, at lunch,” he answered.

 

Thinking back, I replayed everything I had told Nasir in my frustration. Shit, I did say I was in love with him. I didn’t realize I had, but it was every bit the truth.

 

“Yes, Nasir,” I said softly. “I meant every word.”

 

“Why?”

 

I moved my hand from his thigh and clenched my fingers together, irritated at his unwillingness to accept the truth I wanted so desperately for him to believe.

 

“Nasir, why is it so hard for you to believe my feelings for you? Why can’t you accept me?”

 

“My  past - “

 

“Is just that, Nasir. Let it go. You are not the same man now. Do you not have any feelings for me, at all?”

 

I was desperate for his answer, shaking from the need to hear him speak the words.

 

Slowly, cautiously, and with eyes as soft as melted chocolate, Nasir replied, “I’m in love with you, too.”

 

In that instant, my body relaxed in relief, and my chest swelled with so much love for the beautiful man sitting beside me, I thought my heart would surely explode.

 

I wrapped my arms around my man and held him tightly to me, pressing a kiss against the side of his head.

 

“What about the Wildcats, Agron?” he whispered against my neck.

 

“We will deal with that issue when the time comes, and we will do it together. Please, don’t ever take off like that again. I was so fucking worried, Nasir.”

 

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I won’t hurt you like that again.”

 

Gripping Nasir’s shoulders, I held him away from me so I could gaze into his stunning face. He had a slight smile and wet eyes.

 

“Fuck, I love you,” I breathed.

 

His smile widened. “I love you, too.”

 

Taking my time, I let actions take over my words, and caressed my love’s cheek before slowly leaning in for a kiss. It felt like the first time all over again as our mouths moved together gently, causing love so potent to course through my entire being. I only let Nasir go long enough to get us settled under the covers, then pulled him into my arms again, kissing him until both our mouths were swollen and our very breaths were stolen from us.

  
We reconnected that night, not with sex, but with soft touches, many kisses, and whispers of love and hope for our future. A future we vowed to live in together.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [](http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/agamom4/media/HaWSbanner.jpg.html)

**APOV**

 

“Agron…”

 

Damn, I loved the way my man moaned my name in that desperate, breathy voice when I had him writhing underneath me in pleasure. It was early morning, before sunrise, and I was enjoying teasing the shit out of Nasir.

 

I was lying between his bent legs, kissing and licking across the smooth skin of his chest. Every time my lips skimmed across a nipple, he hissed in that adorable way of his, the one only I would be privileged to hear.

 

Even with how much Nasir was turned on, his fingertips remained light as feathers against my neck and shoulders. Every touch from him sent tingles racing down my back, and gooseflesh rose all over my skin.

 

Scooting up so I could kiss his mouth, I enjoyed the feel of his hard cock dragging down my stomach. He moaned at the contact, and I cut it short with my mouth on his. It wouldn’t do for him to wake Duro. We’d never hear the end of it from the shithead.

 

“We don’t have much time,” Nasir murmured, breath hot against my still needy lips. “Fuck me.”

 

“Planned on it,” I breathed back, rolling my hips into his.

 

Before we could get any further, a knock on the bedroom door startled both me and Nasir. _What the fuck? Was there no such thing as privacy anymore?_ Nasir huffed a laugh into my shoulder as I climbed off the bed and pulled on my boxers. They were tented in the front, but I didn’t give a fuck.

 

I strode to the door and pulled it open, revealing a disheveled Duro, dressed only in low riding basketball shorts.

 

“What?” I didn’t pretend to hide my annoyance.

 

“There’s someone at the door asking for Nasir,” he said, voice thick with sleep, then turned around and walked back into his bedroom.

 

Closing the door, I moved to pull my jeans on, and Nasir rose up on his elbows. “I heard my name, didn’t I?”

 

“Yeah. Duro said there’s someone at the door asking for you.”

 

“Me? But I don’t know anyone…” He shrugged, then sat up fully and pulled the sheet over his still exposed lower half. Concern and worry were visible in the furrowing of his brows.

 

“I know,” I said. “That’s why you’re staying right here in this room while I go have a look.”

 

I went to the closet and pulled out an old baseball bat I had thrown in there years ago. Nasir’s eyes widened when he saw it, but he didn’t say anything. Putting my finger against my lips in a gesture for him to stay quiet, I left the room.

 

My bare feet made no noise on the hardwood as I went downstairs toward the front door. The darkness had transformed into the pale predawn light of winter, giving me just enough illumination to walk around without a flashlight. I could feel my heart beating in my throat. Every nerve was on edge, and my mind raced with the possibilities of who could be waiting outside.

 

It had been weeks since the questioning, with no word from the police since then. I didn’t think it would be one of them at the door before sunrise, just to give us an update on the investigation. No, it had to be someone else. Someone who could possibly be dangerous.

 

When I reached the entryway, all I saw was a dark shadow through the gauzy curtain covering the window in the door. It looked like a male, considering the size of the person, and he was smoking a cigarette.

 

My hand, slick with sweat, gripped the baseball bat hard as I took a deep breath and opened the door. It was indeed a man, dressed all in black with a fedora pulled low to hide his eyes.

 

Flicking the smoke over the edge of the porch, he straightened up to his full height. Fucking hell, he towered over me and was twice my build! The leather of his jacket creaked with his every movement.

 

“Got plans for that?” he asked, nodding toward the bat.

 

“Not at the moment,” I said, trying to sound brave, even though my heart was thudding. “But if given cause, I may.”

 

“I am here to see Nasir Parata,” the stranger said, voice low and raspy. “This has nothing to do with you.”

 

I gestured toward the yard, which was lightening more every minute with the rising sun. The air was cold, but my blood was racing through my veins so fast, I barely noticed.

 

“Well, seeing as how you’re trespassing on my private property, I’d say that makes it my business.”

 

The dark man in front of me took a menacing step forward, clenching his fists by his sides.

 

“Where is Nasir?”

 

Steeling what was left of my nerve, I looked up at what I could see of the intruder’s face.

 

“He’s not here. He left a while back, and hasn’t been seen or heard from since.”

 

The side of his mouth turned down. “You’re sure?”

 

“Of course I’m sure! Now, please leave my property.”

 

Even though my very guts were shaking in fear, I continued to stare the man down, until he finally tipped his hat and walked off of the porch. Frozen, I waited until he was in his car, out of the driveway and out of sight before I allowed myself to relax. Leaning against the porch railing, I heaved in air while trying to will my body to stop shaking. I wanted to be in complete control of my emotions before going back into the house to face Nasir and Duro.

 

The cold air I was barely aware of before hit me like a ton of bricks, and I shook even more. The handle of the bat was still slippery with my sweat. I opened the door and went back inside, making sure to close it as quietly as I could. When I turned around, though, I saw my efforts were wasted. Nasir and Duro, both already dressed for the day, stood nearby with their eyes trained on me.

 

“Ah, it was just someone at the wrong house,” I said with a shrug, trying to make the situation look like it wasn’t as serious as it was. I hid the bat behind my back, but I should have known better than to be so stupid. Nasir had seen me take it out of the closet.

 

“Nice try, brother,” Duro said, crossing his arms over his chest. “What’s going on?”

 

Shit. I didn’t want to have to tell them. There had already been so much going on lately, I was hoping we could have a break from the fear and stress. Sighing, I gave in.

 

“It was a man looking for Nasir.”

 

Duro huffed in impatience. “Yeah, we’ve established that. And?”

 

Nasir’s face threatened to break my heart. Brows furrowed together, he looked so sad and guilty, I could hardly stand it.

 

“I told him Nasir took off and I didn’t know where he went,” I said, heading back towards the bedroom. My brother and lover followed right on my heels.

 

“What did he look like, Agron?” Nasir wrung his hands together in front of him, fearful eyes watching me pull on my jeans.

 

“He was about twice my size, wearing a leather jacket and smoking a cigarette. He wore a hat, which concealed most of his face from me. His voice was low and rumbly.”

 

Nasir gasped as I pulled a plain white t-shirt over my head.

 

“What?” I asked, walking over to him. All the color had drained from his face. He bit down on his lower lip and looked at the floor. “Nasir, you know who it was, don’t you?”

 

Slowly, he raised his head to look at me. The fear I saw in his eyes was palpable. I had never seen him look so scared.

 

“Y-yeah. That had to be Caesar. He’s the muscle for the group, and Marcus’ bodyguard.” He paused, shaking his head in disbelief. “Marcus must really be pissed, sending Caesar right away. Usually, he sends one of the lower fucks, like Tiberius or Sabinus.”

 

I stared at Duro. The grim set of his mouth made him look like he had aged five years in a matter of minutes. “What are your thoughts, brother?”

 

“I say we call Oenomaus and tell him Marcus sent his bodyguard here looking for Nasir,” he replied. “We have to keep the ranch and hands safe. You told him Nasir ran off, but do you think he believed it?”

 

“I don’t know,” I said. “When I told him to get off my property, he didn’t say another word, just left.”

 

“He knows I didn’t go anywhere, Agron. He’s a huge brute, but he’s not stupid. He will go back and tell Marcus I am still here.”

 

“Fuck,” I said, leaving the bedroom and heading down the stairs toward the kitchen. “I’ll call Oenomaus as soon as breakfast is done. None of the other hands need to know about this, understood?”

 

They agreed, and did their best to act normal during the meal, then headed out to work. None of the others acted like they suspected anything. Banter and teasing were at the forefront of the conversation, as usual.

 

The call to Oenomaus ended as I thought it would. He and another officer were going to come out to the ranch in plain cars and stay in the house to protect all of us, and to also see if the man Nasir called Caesar would come back. Both Nasir and Oenomaus believed he would. I had no fucking idea what the man would do, but I trusted Nasir’s knowledge of him.

 

It seemed like none of us couldn’t catch a break lately. Fear and worry took precedence over every other emotions for me, Nasir, and Duro. It pained me to see my brother looking so solemn, even when in the company of Spartacus. He used to be so happy and carefree, but all that changed when shit started going down. I thought back to when it started, and it was when the barn burned. That was the turning point for Duro.

 

Nasir didn’t seem so much worried as guilty. Every moment we had alone was filled with talk of how sorry he was because we had to go through all this trouble. Of course, I told him it wasn’t his fault, and I really did feel that it wasn’t. He was only a man trying to find a place in the world after making some bad decisions. I didn’t fault him for his past, but it really did hurt to see him beat himself up all the time for it.

 

We were able to keep the problem away from the hands, but when Oenomaus brought the other officer with him to stay, we had to tell them. There was almost a fight between Crius and Nasir, but Barca managed to talk Crixus down. As much as I liked Crixus, if he laid a hand on Nasir, I would have fired him on the spot.

 

I understood where my friend was coming from, and he was a good man. I believed deep inside all of us, we had fear that some pretty bad shit was going to go down.

 

At mealtimes, when the officers were here, the subdued tones and forced conversations nearly drove me mad. All I wanted was for all of us to be the family we once were. I wanted Nasir to be part of it, too. Everyone was reverting to their old behavior when Mom and Dad died, and I didn’t like it.

 

The officers had been here only three days when the first round of shit went down. True to Nasir’s words, Caesar came back. When he knocked on the door, Oenomaus and his colleague answered the door while the rest of us went upstairs.

 

From the hall window, I watched the surprise dawn on the bodyguard’s face when he realized he was dealing face to face with two policemen. The big man turned and fled, surprisingly fast for his large stature. The two officers made chase, but Oenomaus tripped as he was going down the porch stairs, falling face first in the dirt. The other officer was too late in realizing Oenomaus fell, and he toppled over too, after catching his foot on Oenomaus’ side.

 

Laughing at the two cops, Caesar drove away.

 

Oenomaus pushed the other man off of him into the dirt. “Fuck!” He clutched his side while walking back up the steps. The rest of us went downstairs to figure out what to do next. It was a given Caesar wouldn’t return after knowing we had cops staying at the house.

 

Plopping down on the couch, I rubbed my hand over my face. The stress was getting to me, so much I couldn’t think straight anymore. I needed to get out, and I wanted to take Nasir with me. I wanted to do what regular couples did—go on dates, make out like teenagers, the whole nine yards.

 

“What are you thinking, brother?” Duro asked, taking the seat next to me.

 

My mind made up, I got to my feet and pulled Nasir into my side.

 

“I’m taking my boyfriend out on a date,” I proclaimed proudly and with a bright smile. Everyone in the room looked at me like I was crazy, wide eyed with their mouths open, including Nasir. There was complete silence for a second, then everyone started talking at once.

 

“I can’t let you do that.” Oenomaus shook his head and scowled.

 

“It’s too dangerous.” My sweet Nasir, ever trying to be protective, said.

 

“Are you out of your fucking mind?” Leave it to my brother to be so blunt.

  
I held my hands up for silence. “Everything here has been so fucking...tense...I can’t stand it anymore. I need to get out and have some fun, so I’m going to take my boyfriend on a date. For one night, I want to put all of this shit to the side and enjoy myself. If you guys are smart, you’ll do the same. After that bodyguard saw we have cops staying here, I have no doubt that man, along with others from their group, will try to retaliate in some way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank y'all for sticking with me through my absence. This fic will NOT be abandoned :)  
> Thank you to Harrytwifan for betaing and Delphius Fanfic for prereading. They are magic.  
> I do not own Spartacus.
> 
> Penny

**Author's Note:**

> Thank y'all for reading. See ya next time!
> 
> Penny


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